Road · France
Col Agnel from Château-Ville-Vieille
A mountainous 22 km road cycling route from La Casse through Ville-Vieille, Prats Bas and La Rua, with 1,344 m of climbing over Dente dell'Agnello. Most of it (20.1 km) is on main roads without a cycle lane, 6.4 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more.
At a glance
- Best for
- Short, climbing-heavy rides for confident riders at ease in traffic
- Distance
- 21.5 km
- Elevation gain
- 1,344 m
- Riding time
- 1 h 32 min
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Bike
- Road bike
- Surface
- Mostly paved
- Traffic
- Mostly main roads
- Food & water
- Regular
- Best months
- Jul to Sep
- Navigation
- GPX download
- Start → finish
- La Casse
Map and elevation profile
Elevation profile
- 1,344 m
- 22 km
Route description
- La Casse
- Dente dell'Agnello
- Ville-Vieille
- Prats Bas
- La Rua
- Gaudissard
- Molines-en-Queyras
- Pierre-Grosse
- Le Coin
Starting just after 1 km from Château-Ville-Vieille at 1383 m, the route climbs steadily for 20.4 km, gaining 1343 m to the Col Agnel summit at 2727 m near the Dente dell'Agnello. The climb averages 6.6% gradient, with maximum pitches reaching 10%. The lower slopes have about 45% of the total elevation gain in the first half of the climb.
The surface is paved for 95% of the distance, predominantly on main roads (94%), including the D 205t, D 5, and D 205 roads for 10.1 km, 5.4 km, and 4.3 km respectively. There is a 5% section on a path surface. The entire route except for the initial kilometre is on main roads without cycle lanes, with 6.4 km designated as roads with speed limits of 80 km/h or above.
Facilities near the start include a bakery, bar, convenience store, and petrol station under 1 km from the route. Water and toilets are available at km 1.1 and between km 6 and 12. From km 13.2 to the summit at 21.4 km, there is an 8.2 km stretch without access to cafes, shops, or water. There are also toilets near km 19.7. A notable attraction is La Demoiselle Coiffée de Château-Ville-Vieille at 4.6 km, just off the route.
Why ride this route?
- Climbs Dente dell'Agnello (20.4 km at 6.6 %).
- Tops out at 2,727 m, 21.4 km in.
- Crosses a border: France and Italy.
Highlights
- Col Agnel summit at 2727 m
- Dente dell'Agnello peak nearby
- La Demoiselle Coiffée attraction at 4.6 km
- Average climb gradient 6.6% over 20.4 km
Along the route
Places passed· crosses into Italy
Climbs
| Climb | Starts at | On this ride | Full ascent | Top on this ride |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dente dell'Agnello | 1 km | 20.4 km · 1343 m · 6.6 % · max 10 % | 20.4 km · 1343 m · 6.6 % | 2727 m |
Dente dell'Agnello · full ascent, starts at 1 km
< 4%4 – 7%7 – 10%> 10%
Traffic, surface and gradient
This is not a cycle-track route: 93% is on main roads without a cycle lane, 6.4 km of it where the limit is 80 km/h or more. Riders should be comfortable sharing the road with faster traffic.
- Roads
- 94% main road · 5% path · 1% other roads and tracks
- Main roads
- 20.1 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
- Fast roads
- 6.4 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
- Main roads used
- D 205t (10 km), D 5 (5 km), D 205 (4 km)
- Surface
- Predominantly paved: 95% is mapped as paved, 5% as unpaved or gravel.
- Gradient
- 93% climbing · 5% descending · 2% flat
- Steep sections
- 15.6 km over 5% · 5.9 km over 8% · 0.5 km over 10%
Food, water and services
No stretch is longer than 15 km without a café, shop or water. Along the route: 7 cafés and restaurants, 3 shops, 13 water points, 1 petrol station and 5 public toilets.
Food, water and shops in ride order
- 0.9 kmPetrol station · on the route
- 1 kmLe Pain des Cimes · bakery · 50 m off route
- 1 kmLe Plantivore · convenience store · 50 m off route
- 1.1 kmDrinking water · on the route
- 1.1 kmToilets · on the route
- 6.5 kmLe pains des cimes · bakery · on the route
- 6.5 kmProxi · convenience store · 50 m off route
- 6.6 kmDrinking water · on the route
- 6.6 kmToilets · on the route
- 10.9 kmDrinking water · on the route
- 11 kmFontaine Gaillarde · restaurant · on the route
- 12.3 kmToilets · on the route
- 19.7 kmToilets · 50 m off route
Worth a stop
- 4.6 km — La Demoiselle Coiffée de Château-Ville-Vieille (attraction)
Start and access
At the start
- Food and coffee
- Le Pain des Cimes (760 m), La Cabane à Mitch (310 m), Le Charpenel (650 m)
- Shops
- Le Plantivore (720 m)
Know before you go
- 8.2 km without café, shop or water from km 13.2
- 20.1 km on main roads without cycle lanes
- 6.4 km on roads with 80 km/h speed limits
- 5% gravel or unpaved surface
