Col du Berthiand
Info
Ride No. 57
Grade: 3/10
Location: Merloz
Strava
Segment ID:16636854
My Time: 0:37:53
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.