17.2
PDI
4.8 mi
DISTANCE
2,280 ft
GAINED
9.1 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
On 1 September 2021, with 61 km still to race, Egan Bernal attacked on this road and only Primož Roglič could follow. The two went over the Collada Llomena together, and Roglič later dropped Bernal on the Lagos de Covadonga to win the stage and take back the red jersey. It was the Vuelta's first visit to the pass, and the race came up this side twice that day - our Vuelta a España 2021: Stage 17 page has the whole route.
This is the hard side. From Puente Vidosa it climbs 7.7 km (4.8 mi) and gains 695 m (2280 ft) to the col, an average of 9.1%. There's no warm-up to speak of: the road leaves the N-625, gets above the river and goes straight to work, cut into the rock with a guardrail on the gorge side. The steepest kilometer, a little before halfway, averages 12.0%, and after that it holds at 8 to 9% all the way up.
It's a quiet road in decent shape, and the climbing wears you down steadily rather than hitting you with one big wall. The lower slopes are shut in by the gorge and its woods; higher up, past Viegu and Fano, the land opens into steep green pasture. The top is nothing much - no sign worth a photo, just a power line and the road tipping over toward Beleño - so take your view on the way up, or from the short detour to Les Bedules.
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. La Collada Llomena (este) climbs 7.7 km (4.8 mi) from 296 m (971 ft) at Puente Vidosa to 991 m (3252 ft), averaging 9.1%.
0 to 1 km: About 6.8%, the gentlest part, lifting off the N-625 above the Sella.
1 to 2 km: 10.7%, cut into the side of the gorge.
2 to 3 km: Eases to around 7.8% as you reach Viegu.
3 to 5 km: The crux - close to 11% for two kilometers, with the steepest kilometer at 12.0%.
5 to 7.7 km: 8 to 9% to the col, with no real let-up.
1 to 2 km: 10.7%, cut into the side of the gorge.
2 to 3 km: Eases to around 7.8% as you reach Viegu.
3 to 5 km: The crux - close to 11% for two kilometers, with the steepest kilometer at 12.0%.
5 to 7.7 km: 8 to 9% to the col, with no real let-up.
The steepest 0.5 km averages 13.0% and the steepest 2 km 10.8%.
Roadway: A narrow local road with asphalt from bottom to top - a lane and a bit wide, with guardrails along the drops and a few short stretches running beside the cliff. The surface is generally good. After rain, watch for wet leaves, moss on the shaded bends and stones washed down from the banks, especially in the gorge section.
Traffic: Light. The road serves only a few hamlets, so you'll mostly meet farm vehicles and the odd car heading over to Beleño. The N-625 at the bottom is another matter: it's the main road from Cangas de Onís to Riaño, narrow and twisting through the gorge, with trucks, coaches and lots of motorbikes in summer.
Parking: There's no public car park at the start - the parking at Puente Vidosa belongs to the hotel and adventure centre. The easiest option is to ride in from Cangas de Onís, 21 km (13.0 mi) down the gorge, which makes a long warm-up but means sharing the N-625. Or park in San Juan de Beleño, ride over the Collada Llomena from the west, drop down this side to the gorge and climb back up.
Gear: Bring a 34x32 or 34x34. It's 7.7 km of near-constant 8 to 12%, and a spare gear in the middle kilometers makes the top half much nicer. On the way down, the bends near the gorge are tight and blind, so keep it controlled.
Provisions: The hotel at Puente Vidosa has a restaurant and cafeteria at the bottom (it closes for part of the winter). There's nothing on the climb itself. Over the top, San Juan de Beleño has a bar and the Ponga Natural Park visitor centre. Carry a rain jacket - this corner of Asturias is green for a reason, and the col often sits in cloud.
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.
Cangas de Onís is the base, with hotels, restaurants and the bus to the lakes; our Lagos de Covadonga page covers the town. Ride Llomena one day and the lakes the next and you've done the heart of the 2021 stage 17 finale.
The Beyos gorge is worth seeing for its own sake: the N-625 squeezes between limestone walls along the Sella for kilometers, and at Puente Vidosa the Aguasaliu waterfall drops about 80 m off the cliff right beside the hotel. The adventure centre there runs zip lines, via ferratas and a suspension bridge more than 300 m above the canyon if your legs want a rest day.
On the climb, a signposted cement lane in the upper half runs about 1 km out to Les Bedules, with views down into the gorge and across to the peaks of the Picos de Europa - the best view on the climb, and worth the detour. For a second, much shorter hit nearby, our Casielles climb goes up from the gorge floor to the hamlet of the same name.
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