What is the hardest climb in the Tour?



MGM said:
Didn't Armstrong believe it was Mont Vontoux?
I think mont venoux is the hardest, with col du tourmalet a close second.

Mont-Ventoux 21 km at 7.6%
Col Du Tourmalet 18.4 km at a 7.7%
 
Mont-Ventoux, maybe Puy de Dome (but the last time they where there is about 25 years ago - or even longer). Puy De Dome is not very high but the road is very bad and it's very steep (average about 10% from the town of Clermont Ferrand).
 
it is a very good question and is impossible to answer.

le galibier is unimpressive in gradient but very very long and very high. Ventoux and tourmalet almost similar in gradient. l'Alpe d'huez has its special pressures with the expectancy and the crowds, parts of Joux-plane are very steep etc.

I suppose its different for each rider.
 
I've wanted to ask this question. On the Alpe D'Huez stage this year, did they take an alternate road up the mountain? I didn't see the normal 21 switchbacks that I remember seeing back when they went up in the ITT a few years back (2004?)
 
MGM said:
I've wanted to ask this question. On the Alpe D'Huez stage this year, did they take an alternate road up the mountain? I didn't see the normal 21 switchbacks that I remember seeing back when they went up in the ITT a few years back (2004?)
No they took the normal road, with the 21 turns. I was there.
 
cyclingheroes said:
No they took the normal road, with the 21 turns. I was there.
that must have been nice. Did your ride your bike up to the ski resort that day?
 
MGM said:
that must have been nice. Did your ride your bike up to the ski resort that day?
No, but i did ride my bike up to Alpe d'Huez on "quit" days (last year in June). It's ok to go up before a TdF stage, but to go down after the stage is horror (huge crowds who walk and ride down - total chaos)
 
the only time mont ventoux is hard, compared to the other moutains, it's when its a hot in the summer... It's the heat and the mon like landscape that's devastating on Ventoux...
 
Prano said:
the only time mont ventoux is hard, compared to the other moutains, it's when its a hot in the summer... It's the heat and the mon like landscape that's devastating on Ventoux...
Its also hard when its cold and windy, with the open moonspace, the wind can play havoc, especially iwth the lighter weight riders
 
MGM said:
I've wanted to ask this question. On the Alpe D'Huez stage this year, did they take an alternate road up the mountain? I didn't see the normal 21 switchbacks that I remember seeing back when they went up in the ITT a few years back (2004?)
Yes, that is the only road up.
You just couldnt see it because th Frencg TV coverage SUCKED SO BAD.
They showed minute clips of Sastre/Schleck and Kloden/Landis
and huge minutes of Dessel dropping his chain, Moreau getting dropped.
Seriously, the reason you had no idea was that they did not stay wih one group like Landis (as they should have with split screen to show Sastre) go up the mountain.
As a result, the climb was incoherent. and the race.

But in fairness, the race was crazy this year.normally you have the peloton hit the bottom and one or two guys up front getting caught.

This year it was chaos.
 
bobke said:
Yes, that is the only road up.
No there are 2 roads up, but the one with the 21 is used at the TdF. The other road is over the Col de Saronnes (i believe it's called Saronnes correct me if i am wrong..) and than to Alpe d' Huez (you enter at the other side of the town, where the team coaches are). The second road is closed as well, it's used by media trucks and so on to enter the town.
 
cyclingheroes said:
No there are 2 roads up, but the one with the 21 is used at the TdF. The other road is over the Col de Saronnes (i believe it's called Saronnes correct me if i am wrong..) and than to Alpe d' Huez (you enter at the other side of the town, where the team coaches are). The second road is closed as well, it's used by media trucks and so on to enter the town.
http://members.aol.com/audaxuk/valps/saren.htm

Well I think the point is, unless you drive up another col and come up the back side, that the viewing of the Alpe on the TV did not display the switchbacks, eh?
 
As long as a climb has sufficient length (at least say, 10k maybe?) and an average gradient over about 4% then the hardness of the climb is defined by how fast it is ridden. Flatter climbs suit slightly heavier riders with more power, steeper climbs favour the pure climbers. If you poke up the climb at 10 kph then it ain't going to be hard. Therefore any mountain top finish can be a really hard climb.

Having said that maybe look at www.salite.ch and see how they rate the climbs, with the highest score being the "hardest".