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    100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of the Tour de France: A cyclist's guide to riding the mountains of Le Tour
    100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of the Tour de France: A cyclist's guide to riding the mountains of Le Tour
    100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of the Tour de France: A cyclist's guide to riding the mountains of Le Tour
    Ebook375 pages1 hour

    100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of the Tour de France: A cyclist's guide to riding the mountains of Le Tour

    By Simon Warren

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    About this ebook

    Simon Warren's 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of the Tour de France is the ultimate cyclist's guide to the iconic climbs of Le Tour. From the Col du Tourmalet to Alpe d'Huez, and from Mont Ventoux to Planche des Belles Filles, these climbs are the beating heart of the world's greatest bike race. Technology may advance, training and diet may evolve, but these mountains are a constant. They have witnessed triumph and despair, courage and heartache; they are where champions are made and where dreams are shattered. And, yes, the greatest arenas of the world's oldest and most prestigious Grand Tour are open 365 days of the year for every one of us to go and ride. So, take up the challenge and emulate your heroes on the greatest cycling climbs of the Tour de France. This second edition is fully updated for 2024.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherVertebrate Publishing
    Release dateJun 6, 2024
    ISBN9781839812361
    100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of the Tour de France: A cyclist's guide to riding the mountains of Le Tour
    Author

    Simon Warren

    Simon Warren has been obsessed with cycling since the summer of 1989 after watching Greg Lemond battle Laurent Fignon in the Tour de France. A few weeks later, he rode his first race, a 10-mile time trial on the A1 from Newark to Grantham and back, and was hooked for life. Although not having what it took to beat the best, he found his forte was racing up hills, and so began his fascination with steep roads. After years in the saddle, up and down the UK, his quest to discover Britain’s greatest climbs resulted in 2010’s bestselling 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, followed to date by a further 14 guides to vertical pain. Covering the British Isles, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain, Simon has now been riding and racing up hills and mountains for over 30 years. He gives talks, guides rides, has written columns for magazines and in 2020 released his first book of cycling routes, Ride Britain. Simon splits his time between working as a graphic designer and running his 100 Climbs brand, and lives in Sheffield on the edge of the Peak District with his wife and two children.

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      Book preview

      100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of the Tour de France - Simon Warren

      2

      About the Author

      Simon Warren has been obsessed with cycling since the summer of 1989 after watching Greg Lemond battle Laurent Fignon in the Tour de France. A few weeks later, he rode his first race, a 10-mile time trial on the A1 from Newark to Grantham and back, and was hooked for life. Although not having what it took to beat the best, he found his forte was racing up hills, and so began his fascination with steep roads. After years in the saddle, up and down the UK, his quest to discover Britain’s greatest climbs resulted in 2010’s bestselling 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, followed to date by a further 14 guides to vertical pain. Covering the British Isles, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain, Simon has now been riding and racing up hills and mountains for over 30 years. He gives talks, guides rides, has written columns for magazines and in 2020 released his first book of cycling routes, Ride Britain. Simon splits his time between working as a graphic designer and running his 100 Climbs brand, and lives in Sheffield on the edge of the Peak District with his wife and two children.

      100 GREATEST CYCLING CLIMBS OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE

      SIMON WARREN

      First published in 2014 by Frances Lincoln. This edition first published in 2024 by Vertebrate Publishing.

      VERTEBRATE PUBLISHING

      Omega Court, 352 Cemetery Road, Sheffield S11 8FT, United Kingdom.

      www.adventurebooks.com

      Copyright © 2024 Simon Warren.

      Front cover: Col de l’Iseran.

      Photography by Simon Warren unless otherwise credited.

      Simon Warren has asserted his rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as author of this work.

      A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

      ISBN: 978–1–83981–235–4 (Paperback)

      ISBN: 978–1–83981–236–1 (Ebook)

      All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic or mechanised, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems – without the written permission of the publisher.

      Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologise for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition.

      3

      FOR CHAR, LUX, AND RYDER

      4

      5

      Contents

      About the Author

      Prelude

      Living the dream

      The Marmotte

      Instructions

      Pyrenees

      1 Port de Larrau

      2 Col de Soudet

      3 Col de Marie Blanque

      4 Col d’Aubisque

      5 Col du Soulor

      6 Hautacam

      7 Luz Ardiden

      8 Col du Tourmalet

      9 Col d’Aspin

      10 Pla d’Adet

      11 Col d’Azet

      12 Col de Peyresourde

      13 Port de Balès

      14 Superbagnères

      15 Col du Portillon

      16 Col de Menté

      17 Col des Ares

      18 Col de Portet d’Aspet

      19 Col de la Core

      20 Guzet-Neige

      21 Col de Latrape

      22 Col d’Agnes

      23 Port de Lers

      24 Mur de Péguère

      25 Col de Port

      26 Plateau du Beille

      27 Ax 3 Domaines

      28 Port de Pailhères

      29 Col d’Ordino

      30 Andorre-Arcalís

      Massif Central

      31 Col de Vendeix

      32 Col de la Croix Saint-Robert

      33 Col de la Croix Morand

      34 Super-Besse

      35 Col des Pradeaux

      36 Col de la Croix de l’Homme Mort

      37 Col de la République

      38 Col de la Croix de Chaubouret

      39 Col de l’Œillon

      40 Col d’Entremont

      41 Col de Prat de Bouc

      42 Pas de Peyrol

      43 Côte de la Croix-Neuve

      Vosges

      44 Col du Donon

      45 Col du Calvaire

      46 Collet du Linge

      47 Col de la Schlucht

      48 Col du Firstplan

      49 Col du Platzerwasel

      50 Grand Ballon

      51 Ballon d’Alsace

      52 Ballon de Servance

      53 Planche des Belles Filles

      A spectator’s guide to le Tour

      Jura

      54 Côte des Rousses

      55 Col de la Faucille

      56 Col de la Croix de la Serra

      57 Col du Berthiand

      58 Col du Grand Colombier

      59 Mont du Chat

      Alpes du Nord

      60 Col du Corbier

      61 Avoriaz

      62 Col de Joux Plane

      63 Col de la Colombière

      64 Semnoz

      65 Col de la Croix-Fry

      66 Col des Aravis

      67 Col des Saisies

      68 Cormet-de-Roseland

      69 Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard

      70 Col de Tamié

      71 Col du Grand Cucheron

      72 Col du Granier

      73 Col du Cucheron

      74 Col de Porte

      75 Col de la Madeleine

      76 Courchevel

      77 La Plagne

      78 Col de l’Iseran

      79 Col du Mont-Cenis

      80 La Toussuire

      81 Col du Glandon

      82 Col de la Croix de Fer

      83 Alpe d’Huez

      84 Col d’Ornon

      85 Les Deux Alpes

      86 Col du Télégraphe

      87 Col du Galibier

      Alpes du Sud

      88 Col du Lautaret

      89 Col du Granon

      90 Sestriere

      91 Col d’Izoard

      92 Col Agnel

      93 Col du Noyer

      94 Col de Manse

      95 Col de Vars

      96 Pra-Loup

      97 Col d’Allos

      98 Cime de la Bonette

      99 Col de la Lombarde

      100 Mont Ventoux

      Checklist

      6

      7

      Prelude

      The Tour de France was conceived in 1903 when, according to legend, the struggling newspaper L’Auto was looking for a promotional vehicle to boost its sales and ultimately to put its rival Le Vélo out of business. Its creation is popularly attributed to Henri Desgrange but the idea, the spark – that came from a young journalist, Géo Lefèvre. His suggestion of a six-day race around the whole of France was jumped upon by the editor Desgrange and with the paper’s accountant, Victor Goddet, keen to bankroll the affair, the Tour de France was born. Back in those early years the riders covered stage distances that would make Audax riders wince, over roads unfit for 4x4 vehicles on bikes you wouldn’t salvage from a skip. The first race was won by Maurice Garin who covered the 2,428 kilometres at an average speed of 25.68km/h which is quite pedestrian compared with the current average speeds that are just shy of 40km/h.

      Over the years, the format of the route, the formation of teams, and the distances covered were in constant flux as the race sought the perfect solution. It wasn’t until 1919 that the first iconic yellow jersey, the ubiquitous symbol of the Tour, was awarded and not until 1969 that the race settled into the format we are all familiar with today. Later still, in 1975, the polka dot jersey was introduced. Fought for on the roads in this book, it is awarded to the rider with the most points in the mountain classification. A system was devised to categorise each climb relating to the car gear required to drive up its slope; a 4th category could be crossed in 4th gear and so on. The lower the number the more points are awarded up to the Hors Catégorie: roads so hard they’re beyond classification.

      The first ‘mountain’, a road over 1,000 metres to be crossed by the Tour, was the Col de la République (see page 92), in the inaugural race in 1903. Having coped with that challenge, two years later it was time to test the riders on a real climb, the Ballon d’Alsace (see page 122), up to a height of 1,178 metres. Desgrange saw the climb as more of an experiment and stated that no one would be able to ride over it, but one man, René Pottier, proved him wrong.

      The real watershed moment arrived in 1910 when the race was sent over the high passes of the Pyrenees, starting with the Col de Peyresourde (see page 40) and finishing four mountains later in Bayonne after crossing the Col d’Aubisque (see page 24). It all but destroyed the riders but it made the race, and it was on that day that the Tour really began. There was no looking back; the next year the Alps were introduced with an ascent of the Col du Galibier (see page 204) and anyone who wanted to win the Tour had to learn – A to climb, and B to descend these formidable roads.

      8

      Living the dream

      What a summer, what an amazing summer; it was the chance of a lifetime. The task: to ride and document 100 mountains from the Pyrenees to the Vosges to compile the book you hold in your hand. I’d written books on the ‘tiny’ hills of Britain and Belgium, but this was a whole different ball game – these roads were colossal by comparison. You could argue that the book should have just been called The Greatest Cycling Climbs of France, but would they be household names if it wasn’t for the race? The Tour was, is, and forever will be the world’s greatest sporting event and these roads are its building blocks, its beating heart. To ride these climbs is to ride in the shadows of giants, to add your tyre tracks to those of the hundreds of battles that have taken place on the very same slopes. Some higher, some steeper, many famous and some seemingly insignificant, but all are essential in creating the legend that is the Tour.

      On top of my very first mountain; I’m in the white cricket hat and, yes, denim-look Lycra!

      To be expected, choosing the climbs wasn’t easy as the race has crossed a vast amount of cols over its 100-year history and at times tough choices had to be made. In listing

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