Col du Berthiand

Col du Bertiand
Info
Date: 24th June 2023
Ride No. 57
Grade: 3/10
Location: Merloz
Strava

Segment ID:16636854
My Time: 0:37:53

 

Gallery

 

 

Easy

The Col du Berthiand was one of the problem climbs on the list.

It was not near any other climbs, nor was enroute to somewhere else for me.

If I could drop a climb, the Col du Berthiand would be high on my list.

A 3/10 of 6.5Km averaging 7% with a max of 11% seemed hardly worth getting out of bed for. But it’s in the 100, so it must be done.

3/10, sounds an easy push to get it done.

WRONG.

This was a complete b4st4rd. I have absolutely no idea how it was ranked like this.

The climb segment starts on the bridge over the L’Ain and within a Km it jumps to 9% then 10% and that is where it stays for the first 3.5Km.

Apart from a couple of bends, the climb is mostly straight and up, which makes it appear daunting.

In the 36C I was certainly feeling the pain but thankfully a 4% respite for 200mt came to my rescue.

This respite didn’t signal that the climb was over and, if to further emphasise the point, it briefly ramped back up to 11%.

This was the first climb on my 2023 visit that I felt the need to sit down for a few minutes at the summit.

In hindsight, I was punished for hitting the climb too hard at the start. Another lesson learnt the hard way (as usual).

If I was at the beginning of the TdF 100 Climbs challenge and this 3/10 was my first ride, I might have said, “au revoir”.

I was so whacked out that couldn’t make the advertised speed dating. Sorry ladies, maybe another day.