The most iconic climbs in cycling are concentrated in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Dolomites, and the Sierra Nevada — and most of the legendary ones make repeat appearances in the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, or Vuelta a España. Alpe d’Huez (21 hairpins, 8.1% average over 13.8 km), Mont Ventoux (“Giant of Provence”), and the Stelvio Pass (48 switchbacks) are the three every road cyclist puts on their bucket list.
Climb anatomy and technique
- What is a switchback in cycling?
- How to bike uphill
- Cycling cadence (matters most when climbing)
- Zone 2 training (the engine of long climbs)