It rises to 2,115m at an average gradient of 7.3 per cent along its 17.1km ascent – and Etape du Tour participants will be tackling the punishing climb of the Col du Tourmalet this year after the sportive’s route was announced this week.

Confirmed at Wednesday’s Tour de France 2014 presentation, the Etape will follow the 148km route of stage 18 through the Pyrenees, with the ascent of the Tourmalet followed by a summit finish into Hautacam.

Riders will tackle the route on Sunday July 20 – four days before Chris Froome and his fellow GC contenders are due to take on the ferocious climbs.

More than 11,000 riders tackled last year’s Etape – including RCUK’s George Scott who wrote about the experience here – and places are expected to sell out again this year.

For more information on the famous sportive and the iconic climb of the Tourmalet, check out the full article here.