From Vassieux-en-Vercors
Departmental road
Col de la Chau — 1,337 m
Col de la Chau, 1,337 m, in Drôme. Main climb: 5.1 km at 6.0% average, 306 m of climbing from Vassieux-en-Vercors. The Tour de France has been over it 1 times since 1996.
At a glance
- Distance
- 5.1 km
- Elevation gain
- 306 m
- Average gradient
- 6.0 %
- Difficulty index
- 2.0 Easy
Figures for the main climb (From Vassieux-en-Vercors). The other climbs are further down.
Location
- Department
- Drôme
- Altitude
- 1,337 m
- Coordinates
- 44.90731, 5.35662
Map of the climbs
- From Vassieux-en-Vercors
- From Saint-Jean-en-Royans
Cycling ascents
| Main climb | Distance | Elevation gain | Elevation loss | Average gradient | Steepest 500 m | Difficulty index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Vassieux-en-Vercors | 5.1 km | 306 m | 16 m | 6.0 % | 11.1 % | 2.0 Easy |
| From Saint-Jean-en-Royans | 26.9 km | 1,303 m | 191 m | 4.8 % | 16.3 % | 4.9 Moderate |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
- 10% and above
- 8 to 10%
- 6 to 8%
- 4 to 6%
- under 4%
From Saint-Jean-en-Royans
Departmental road
2 ascents proposed here — other ways up this col remain possible.
Distances and elevation gains derived from the OpenStreetMap road network and a digital terrain model, measured on the very profile shown here.
Figures computed on 7 September 2026.
The Tour de France here
- Crossings
- 1
- Editions
- 1
- On the route
- from 1996 to 1996
- Usual category
- Category 2
| Year | Stage | Cat. | First over the top |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Stage 11 Gap → Valence | Category 2 |
Chains with
- Col de la Machine 1,011 m
- Col de l'Echarasson 1,146 m
Cols one of the climbs above actually rides over — not merely neighbours as the crow flies.
Cols nearby
- Col de Carri 1,215 m · 4 km
- Col de Rousset 1,259 m · 8 km
- Col de la Bataille 1,313 m · 10 km
- Col des Limouches 1,086 m · 16 km
- Col de Chalimont 1,365 m · 18 km
- Villard-de-Lans 1,026 m · 24 km
Straight-line distances, not road distances. The cols a climb actually rides over are listed above.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the climb to Col de la Chau?
The hardest climb of Col de la Chau, from Vassieux-en-Vercors, is 5.1 km long for 306 m of ascent, i.e. 6.0% average.
What is the steepest part of Col de la Chau?
The steepest 500 m sits at 11.1%, and the hardest kilometre is the 4th, at 8.5%.
How many times has the Tour de France been over Col de la Chau?
The Tour de France has crossed Col de la Chau 1 times, from 1996 to 1996.
Col de la Chau: add this col to your collection
Sleipnir recognises the cols you cross from the GPS trace of your rides: the col ticks itself off the day you ride over it.
Create an accountFree during the beta, no card required — places are limited.
A Polar watch syncs on its own; with any other watch, import your GPX or TCX files.