16.8
PDI
9 mi
DISTANCE
2,946 ft
GAINED
6.2 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
Page Contributor(s): Ian Dennis, Occidental, CA, USA; Lisa Irizarry and Matt Jiang, NY, NY
INTRO
You have some gorgeous views of the Mediterranean Sea as you ride up this little used roadway. This climb was made semi-famous as a training climb for Lance Armstrong when he lived in Nice and apparently was also used by Chris Froome and Richie Port. We ride from the Mediterranean Sea along a very windy road with several big hairpins to the top where we can look down 1000 meters to the Mediterranean Sea below. It is of note that nearly all the Google Reviews of the Col are from cyclists (Google Map + Reviews).
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. Average grade is 6.2% (6.5% climb only - eliminating a brief descent beginning at kilometer 11.4). 60% of the climb is in the 5-10% range and 8% is at 10-15%. The steepest 500 meters is 11.3% and steepest kilometer 10%.
See more details and tools regarding this climb's grade via the “Profile Tool” button.
Roadway: Two lane road most of the climb in very good condition. The road does narrow over the last 2-3 kilometers.
Traffic: Mild
Parking: There is some public parking near the start of the climb, but get here before business hours because Menton where the climb begins is a tourist center (Map; Street View).
Provisions: There are several locations on the first half of the climb to get food and beverages.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Use the “Routes in Area” button on the menu bar to see other bike climbs in this area.
ROUTE MAP
MEMBER RATING
CURRENT WEATHER
PJAMM TRIPS ADVENTURE STARTER BUNDLES
Check out PJAMM Adventure's prepackaged (self-guided) cycling trips. They will help you plan, document and conquer your next adventure.
NEARBY CLIMBS (0) RADIAL PROXIMITY
FROM No Climbs Found
MEMBER REVIEWS & COMMENTS
Let us know what you thought of this climb. Signup for our FREE membership to write a review or post a comment.
Already have an account?
LOG IN HERE
JTclimbs
Starting in Menton, France and ending in Italy..It lives up to its reputation. The climb feels a lot like Sa Calobra in Mallorca. Many switchbacks and some steeper kickers, but nothing incredibly steep. It is LONG and only has one relief section at the last mile. The road quality is bad, but because you are going up, it doesn't matter as much. This is a hard climb because of how much continuous elevation is involved, but the views after the first 1.5 miles to the last mile are incredible. It is iconic. Don't expect great views at the very top though. You will be high enough on the edge of the peak that you can't see much, but who cares?! You just biked up into Italy. I wouldn't recommend descending directly down it due to the poor road quality. I did the back side over the top and while there are some rocks to watch for and bikers coming up, I never saw a car and the road was wide enough to rip that side of the descent.
