How Difficult Is Alpe D Huez Climb?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The legendary climb….all road cyclists have probably thought about cycling Alpe D’Huez one day. With 21 bends over 13km and an average gradient of 8%,

it’s not the longest or steepest climb in our part of the French Alps, but it is relentless

.

What is the hardest cycling climb in the world?

The hardest bike climb in the World is

Mauna Kea, Big Island, Hawaii

, and is also by far the most difficult bike climb in the world. Mauna Kea has it all: length (42.5 miles), altitude (sea level to nearly 14,000′), and gradient (the last 10 miles are from 8,120′ to 13,779′ at 10.7% average grade).

How long is the Alpe d’Huez climb?

As the Mecca of the Tour de France, Alpe d’Huez and it’s

21 bends

are a crucial stage of this world renowned competition . 21 signs help keep the rhythm as you climb 21 bends covering 1120 metres of height gain over 14 kilometres. Each day during the summer, an average of 1000 riders climb this mythical ascent.

What is the steepest grade on Alpe d Huez?

  • Location: Alps, France.
  • Distance: 13.8km.
  • Average gradient: 8.1 per cent, with the steepest part 11.5 per cent.
  • Maximum elevation: 1850 metres.
  • Fastest recorded ascent: 37 minutes and 35 seconds by Marco Pantani during 1997 Tour de France.

How long is the Mont Ventoux climb?

Just take a look at the stats for cycling Mont Ventoux via Bedoin: Bédoin-Mont Ventoux is 21.3 km long, it climbs

1,579 m

, and its average gradient is 7.4%.

What is the fastest time up Alpe d Huez?

Alberto Contador holds the record for the fastest ascent, in just

37 minutes and 30 seconds

during the 2010 Critérium du Dauphiné.

What is the steepest grade in the Tour de France?

The peak of

Mont Ventoux

reaches an altitude of 1,900 metres. The climb is both long and steep at 15.8km and 8.5% average gradient.

What is the longest cycling climb in the world?


Mauna Kea

. With an elevation gain of 4,018 metres, Mauna Kea is arguably the world’s longest road climb.

What is the hardest category climb in cycling?

Hors catégorie (HC) is a French term used in stage bicycle races to designate a climb that is “beyond categorization”. The term was originally used for those mountain roads where cars were not expected to be able to pass. The

HC climb

is the most difficult type of climb in a race.

Is Alpe d’Huez good for beginners?


Alpe d’Huez is an excellent place for beginner skiers

, with two large and four smaller nursery ski areas, 41 green pistes and 34 blue pistes to practise on once you’ve mastered the basics.

Is Alpe d’Huez good for skiing?

One of the biggest ski areas in France


Alpe d’Huez is a superb place to ski or snowboard

. It’s the hub of France’s fifth-largest ski area, boasting an impressive 250km of pistes, and in two particular areas it ranks amongst the best in the Alps.

Is Alpe d’Huez a HC climb?

Alpe d’Huez,

HC / 13.8km / 8.1%

– Climb Profile & Routes.

Is Alpe d’Huez the same as Alpe du Zwift?


Alpe du Zwift is the virtual twin to the 21 hair-pinned climb in the heart of the French Alps (Alpe d’Huez)

. The virtual edition follows exactly the same gradient and distance metre for metre, the only difference is you can ride it from the comfort of your own home!

Is there snow in Alpe d’Huez in April?

In L’Alpe d’Huez, in April,

during 12.5 snowfall days, 356mm (14.02′′) of snow is typically accumulated

. Throughout the year, in L’Alpe d’Huez, there are 102.7 snowfall days, and 4308mm (169.61′′) of snow is accumulated.

What route is Alpe du Zwift?


Watopia’s “Road to Sky” route

is the shortest route which includes Alpe du Zwift, a massive climb modeled after the iconic Alp d’Huez.

How fast do pros climb Mont Ventoux?

The best professional riders do the 21 km of Bédoin in

just under an hour

or at a ‘VAM’ (velocità ascension media or altimeters per hour) of 1600 meters. The better amateurs take less than two hours or an average of just over 10km/hour. But everyone is free to do the climb.

How hard is it to cycle Mont Ventoux?

While Barthes’s soundbites make for handy — if hyperbolic — quotes, if you get the right weather and pace yourself well, climbing Mont Ventoux is

not intrinsically any more difficult than riding any other 20km, high mountain ascent

.

Why is Mt Ventoux treeless?


The top of the mountain is bare limestone without vegetation or trees

, which makes the mountain’s barren peak appear from a distance to be snow-capped all year round (its snow cover actually only lasts from December to April).

What is a good time up Mont Ventoux?

Time to the top

The pros do the route from Bédoin in

about an hour

. The fastest time recorded to date is Iban Mayo’s time of 55 minutes 51 seconds in the individual climbing time trial of the 2004 Dauphiné Libéré. Top amateurs ride it in less than two hours.

Is the Tour de France going up Alpe d Huez?


Tour de France to return to Alpe d’Huez and Paris-Roubaix cobbles in 2022

. T he 2022 Tour de France will begin in Copenhagen and take in the notorious climb of Alpe d’Huez as well as the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix.

What is a good time for Alpe du Zwift?

The accepted wisdom of the Alpe du Zwift is that to climb it in

under an hour

you need to average about 3.2W/kg from the bottom to the top.

Is Mont Ventoux harder than Alpe d Huez?

User Points 10 bernard 74

What is the hardest climb in France?


Col de la Loze

is ranked the hardest bike climb in France. Ride 16.3 kilometers gaining 1405 meters at 8.6% average grade. This is the only Top 10 French bike climb located in the Pyrenees.

What is the longest climb in the Tour de France?


Le Col du Tourmalet (2,115 metres)

Despite having a name that seems to translate from French as the “bad trip”, this Pyrenean giant remains the most-climbed Col in the history of the Tour de France (79 times).

What is a Category 1 climb in cycling?

From the French term meaning beyond categorisation. The toughest of the tough. The longest or steepest climbs, often both combined. Cat 1. Still a very significant climb, it could be

a big mountain climb with a lesser gradient or a shorter climb with a steep pitch

, for example 8km at 8% through to 20km at 5%

What are punchy climbs?

A punchy climb is

anything you can do above your threshold power without having to stop

. But if you cannot make it to the top by the time you blow, you know it’s a sustained climb.

How hard is the dawn wall?

The Dawn Wall is

one of the most famous and difficult big wall routes in the world

. It climbs the sweeping southeast face of El Capitan in Yosemite, a nearly 1,000-metre granite wall. It’s graded 5.14d and climbs 32 pitches.

Timothy Chehowski
Author
Timothy Chehowski
Timothy Chehowski is a travel writer and photographer with over 10 years of experience exploring the world. He has visited over 50 countries and has a passion for discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and hidden gems. Juan's writing and photography have been featured in various travel publications.