Sixteen of the hardest climbs in professional cycling

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Sixteen of the toughest climbs in professional cycling

Ascents which strike fear into the even most seasoned pros

Col du Tourmalet (Tour de France)

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    Christopher Horner rides alone after dropping Vuelta a Espana GC rival Vincenzo Nibali on the Angliru (pic: Sirotti)

  • Alpe d'Huez sign, pic: ©Media-24, submitted by Mike Cotty, used with permission

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  • Snow, Gavia, Giro d'Italia, 2014, pic: Sirotti

    The snow-laden slopes of the Gavia featured at the Giro last year (pic: Sirotti)

  • Passo Giau, Giro d'Italia 2012, stage 17, pic: ©Sirotti

    The Passo Giau is set in a landscape that can accurately be described as stunning. pic: ©Sirotti

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    Joaquim Rodriguez resplendent in the maglia rosa at the 2012 Giro d'Italia, tackles the Mortirolo

  • Col du Tourmalet, Pyrenees, climb, mountain (Pic: muneaki / Creative Commons)

    The Col du Tourmalet was part of the 2014 Etape du Tour (pic: muneaki / Creative Commons)

  • Joaquim Rodriguez, Katusha, Vuelta a Espana, 2012, Ancares, salute, pic: Sirotti

    Joaquim Rodriguez celebrates his win on the Ancares in 2012 (pic: Sirotti)

  • Nairo Quintana, Giro d'Italia, 2014, Movistar, pic: Sirotti

    Nairo Quintana and Pierre Rolland tackle the Montecampione at last year's Giro d'Italia (pic: Sirotti)

  • The stunning backdrop masks the fierceness of the climb to the Lakes of Covadonga (pic: Sirotti)

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Col du Tourmalet (Tour de France)

The story goes that the Col du Tourmalet, one of the highest roads in the Pyrenees, was barely passable on foot when Tour organiser Henri Desgrange’s colleague, Alphonse Steines, first recce’d it ahead its first appearance in the race in 1910. 

Since then it has been a regular at the Tour, featuring more than any other clims (83 times), while also making appearances in the Vuelta a Espana. Last year it was also on the Etape du Tour route.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, it is a climb shrouded in Tour de France legends and a must-ride ascent if you are ever in the Pyrenees.

It’s a long ascent at 17.4km and reasonably steep, with an average of 7.4 cent, but the gradient does hold form for much of the way up.

However, there is a sting in the tail, with the steepest part of the climbs arriving in the final 500m to sap away any last energy reserves you may have.

Key facts

Length: 17.2km (from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan)
Average gradient: 7.4%
Maximum gradient: 12%

Topics:

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