Cornerman Protocol
Tools / Climb pacing

Climb pacing

A climb is lost in its first two kilometres. Enter your ascent and your strategy: the tool computes your climbing time, your target watts kilometre by kilometre and the tactical orders that go with them, because the first quarter decides the rest.

PICK A CLIMB OR LOAD YOUR GPX

Real profiles, kilometre by kilometre

THE CLIMB & THE ENGINE

km
%
m
km/h
+ head / − tail
W
W
W
J
kg
kg
INTENSITY

personal best. No margin left, W′ dry at the summit

◆ Your W′ reserve (20 kJ) drains the moment you go above critical power (240 W). For your real numbers, run the Critical Power (CP & W′) tool. Both values are stored in your profile.

CLIMB TIME

Gradient · grade-adaptive
1h40min
Target watts
240 W
VAM
962 m/h
W/kg
3.3
Gain
1610 m

WHERE THE WATTS GO

Gravity211 W · 91 %
Aero11 W · 5 %
Rolling11 W · 5 %

average speed 12.9 km/h

[ ! ] Your W′ reserve drops to 0 %. You blow up in the top third of the climb. Take ten watts off at the bottom.

PACING PLAN, SEGMENT BY SEGMENT · W′ RESERVE

< 3.5 %3.5–66–99–12≥ 12 % WALLW′ MIN: 0 %
Km 1 (3.5%)1 km3.5 %230 W · 96 %20.8100 %[HOLD BACK] start at 230 W (96 % FTP), not one watt more. The buzz at the bottom costs you 2 min at the top
Km 2 (4.2%)1 km4.2 %230 W · 96 %18.8100 %[THRESHOLD] hold 230 W, breathing under control, 80+ rpm on the steep bits
Km 3 (5%)1 km5 %230 W · 96 %16.8100 %[THRESHOLD] hold 230 W, breathing under control, 80+ rpm on the steep bits
Km 4 (4.5%)1 km4.5 %230 W · 96 %18100 %[THRESHOLD] hold 230 W, breathing under control, 80+ rpm on the steep bits
Km 5 (5.5%)1 km5.5 %230 W · 96 %15.8100 %[THRESHOLD] hold 230 W, breathing under control, 80+ rpm on the steep bits
Km 6 (9%)1 km9 %252 W · 105 %11.581 %[ABOVE CP] 252 W above your CP, W′ is draining (81 %), no surges
Km 7 (9.8%)1 km9.8 %252 W · 105 %10.761 %[ABOVE CP] 252 W above your CP, W′ is draining (61 %), no surges
Km 8 (10.2%)1 km10.2 %252 W · 105 %10.340 %[ABOVE CP] 252 W above your CP, W′ is draining (40 %), no surges
Km 9 (9.5%)1 km9.5 %252 W · 105 %1121 %[ABOVE CP] 252 W above your CP, W′ is draining (21 %), no surges
Km 10 (9.2%)1 km9.2 %252 W · 105 %11.31 %[ ! ] blow-up risk (W′ 1 %), drop under 240 W now
Km 11 (10%)1 km10 %252 W · 105 %10.50 %[ ! ] blow-up risk (W′ 0 %), drop under 240 W now
Km 12 (9.5%)1 km9.5 %252 W · 105 %110 %[ ! ] blow-up risk (W′ 0 %), drop under 240 W now
Km 13 (9.8%)1 km9.8 %252 W · 105 %10.70 %[ ! ] blow-up risk (W′ 0 %), drop under 240 W now
Km 14 (9%)1 km9 %252 W · 105 %11.50 %[ ! ] blow-up risk (W′ 0 %), drop under 240 W now
Km 15 (6.5%)1 km6.5 %240 W · 100 %14.40 %[ ! ] blow-up risk (W′ 0 %), drop under 240 W now
Km 16 (7%)1 km7 %240 W · 100 %13.60 %[ ! ] blow-up risk (W′ 0 %), drop under 240 W now
Km 17 (7.5%)1 km7.5 %240 W · 100 %12.90 %[ ! ] blow-up risk (W′ 0 %), drop under 240 W now
Km 18 (9%)1 km9 %252 W · 105 %11.50 %[ ! ] blow-up risk (W′ 0 %), drop under 240 W now
Km 19 (8.5%)1 km8.5 %240 W · 100 %11.60 %[ ! ] blow-up risk (W′ 0 %), drop under 240 W now
Km 20 (10.5%)1 km10.5 %252 W · 105 %10.10 %[ ! ] blow-up risk (W′ 0 %), drop under 240 W now
Km 21 (9.5%)1 km9.5 %252 W · 105 %110 %[ ! ] blow-up risk (W′ 0 %), drop under 240 W now

◆ Protocol · the first 2 kilometres sit under your target: the buzz at the bottom of a climb is trap number one. You give up 20 seconds early to take 2 minutes back at the summit.

REF·22 PACING

The science of going up

Gravity vs aero

Beyond a 7 % gradient, gravity (M · g · sin θ) accounts for 80 to 90 % of total resistance. On shallow drags (3–5 %), aerodynamic drag (½ ρ CdA v²) takes over again: never neglect your position.

The W′ reserve

Above your critical power, every watt draws on a finite reserve (15,000 to 25,000 J). It only recharges below CP. At zero it is not a question of courage: the machine stops.

Negative split

Going out too hard in the first two kilometres destroys W′ and the rest of the climb with it. Holding back at the bottom then pushing on the final section produces the best real-world times, every time.

REF·22 PACING REF·24 FTP REF·25 TTE REF·02 W/KG
Martin et al. 1998 · CdA 0.30 when climbing