Étape du Tour 2027 Route Guide: Cluses to Les Saisies, Key Climbs and Training for the Sportive

So the Col de Colombier, just from a numbers perspective, is about 16 and a half kilometres from Clues.

It actually starts in, it doesn't start in Clues, it starts just outside.

It's about a couple of kilometres out in a town called Skionzieh.

Yes.

So you've got a little bit of riding before you get to it, but only a short section.

Sort of coming back to numbers, it's 6.8% average, but I'm not sure that tells kind of the actual story about what Côte de la Colombie from this side looks like.

Exactly that.

I mean, you've got 1000, just over 1000 meters of climbing in those 16 kilometers.

So there's a lot to be had there.

The steepest part is 10%.

But that's

right at the end, isn't

it? Right at the end.

So it's not like the actual gradient is nothing too severe.

It's just constant and then kicks up at the end.

The way you need to look at this climb in my view is almost two climbs in one.

So if you come out of the blocks and you get sort of two kilometers of relatively flat riding done, you'll then have a fairly relaxed gradient, kind of relaxed gradient until probably about kilometre three where it then kicks up.

And you only have two or three kilometres.

And in my personal view, that's where I think you need to really pace yourself because what you then come to is a town called Le Repassoir.

And Le Repassoir actually means resting place.

So, I mean, it couldn't be...

It does what it says on the tin.

You need to be able to... get up the first part of the climb relatively easily, control yourself, relax into a nice pace.

And when you get to La Reposoir, it gives you a bit of a false flat.

I mean, it's still a little bit of an elevation, but it's a bit of a false flat as you go through La Reposoir.