Nothing beats the feeling of accomplishment which comes with scaling one of the sport’s most famous peaks.

From Alpe d’Huez to the Stelvio, there are Grand Tour giants littered throughout Europe, with many of the iconic ascents packing cycling bucket lists – such as these 12.

And you do not have to go too far to tackle a huge peak because – while Britain’s climbs often lack distance – there are plenty of short but very, very steep UK ascents on offer too.

From the 33 per cent gradient of Rosedale Chimney, North Yorkshire, to the twisting, Alpine-like passage of Bealach na Ba there is certainly plenty to whet the whistle.

A relatively small, but hugely satisfying box to tick on your cycling bucket list, there is no shortage of big peaks to target in 2015.