Hautacam (Tour de France)
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The peloton tackles the Wall of Sormano (pic: Sirotti)
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Colombians, Nairo Quintana and Rigoberto Uran do battle on the Zoncolan pic: ©Sirotti
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Christopher Horner rides alone after dropping Vuelta a Espana GC rival Vincenzo Nibali on the Angliru (pic: Sirotti)
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Peter Cossins' looks at 'cycling's greatest climb' in Alpe d'Huez (pic: Media-24)
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Froome rounds the final corner of the Mont Ventoux on his way to his 2013 stage win (pic: Sirotti)
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The iconic Passo dello Stelvio is likely to feature on the 'must ride' list of any cyclist. pic: ©Media24
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The Koppenberg is known to have forced many a cyclist to get off and push (pic: Sirotti)
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Alejandro Valverde celebrates his La Fleche Wallonne triumph atop the Mur de Huy in 2015 (pic: Sirotti)
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The snow-laden slopes of the Gavia featured at the Giro last year (pic: Sirotti)
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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
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The Col du Tourmalet was part of the 2014 Etape du Tour (pic: muneaki / Creative Commons)
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Joaquim Rodriguez celebrates his win on the Ancares in 2012 (pic: Sirotti)
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Nairo Quintana and Pierre Rolland tackle the Montecampione at last year's Giro d'Italia (pic: Sirotti)
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The stunning backdrop masks the fierceness of the climb to the Lakes of Covadonga (pic: Sirotti)
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The Hautacam has become a popular modern addition to the Tour de France pic: ©Media24
Hautacam (Tour de France)
Set in the Pyrenees, the Hautacam has been used in the Tour de France on five occasions, its proximity to the Tourmalet making it ideal as part of a particularly tough stage.
Last year the 13.6km climb saw Vincenzo Nibali storm to victory, all-but-sealing his yellow jersey with three stages remaining.
The Tour tackles Hautacam from Ayros-Arbouix, a route which boasts an average gradient of 7.8 per cent and a maximum of 13. Its difficulty, however, lies in the inconsistency of the gradient, making it hard to settle into a rhythm, while there are long stretches over ten per cent.
Also part of last year’s Etape du Tour route, the climb is becoming a popular destination for amateur cyclists heading to the Pyrenees.
Key facts
Length: 13.6km
Average gradient: 7.8%
Maximum gradient: 13%