The latest addition to our 2020 Tour de France tours, is the Alps Ride EPIC experience that'll have you endeavouring on a testing journey through what is arguably road cycling's greatest playground, the French Alps!
It's the ultimate Alps bucket list experience, designed for the hardcore cyclists out there who dare to go head-to-head with some of the most challenging, iconic cols across the globe.
Find out what 10 epic Alpine ascents you'll be tackling here:
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Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux literally means ‘Windy Mountain’ and the name speaks for itself. To add – it has been nicknamed by many as ‘The Bald Mountain’ due to its interesting, barren Provencal landscape.
The 21.4km climb (via Bédoin) travels up to 1912m, with a testing average gradient of 7.6%, and is widely known throughout the cycling world as being a real physical challenge. Tough? Yes. Painful? Absolutely, but the elation and incredibly satisfactory feeling atop will certainly make it all the more worth it.
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Cormet de Roseland
The Cormet de Roseland is a Rhone-Alps favourite and will be featured mid Stage 18 of the 2020 Tour de France across an incredibly challenging 4000m+ route. The lengthy 19.4km climb (via Bourg Saint Maurice) has a steady average gradient of 6% and climbs up to a sky-high 1937m.
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Alpe d’Huez
Renowned for its mythical 21 switchback bends, covering 1120 metres of elevation in 14 kilometres with a leg zapping 8.1% average gradient. The climb is a real Tour de France icon and has been the stage for many-a legendary victory since its inception to the race in 1952. It not only offers a great challenge, but truly surreal views and scenery for its entirety.
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Col de Sarenne
Col de Sarenne lies beyond the legendary Alpe d'Huez and offers the perfect platform to continue climbing into the clouds (1999m) for an additional 9km, at at an enjoyable 3.8% from the West. Stunning landscape and hairpin roads ensure the extra metres of climbing all the more endurable.
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Col de la Madeleine
Col de la Madeleine is an Alps icon that has made quite the name for itself in Tour de France history - its relentless gradients proving quite the test. 'Beautiful, but heartbreaking'...even for the pros. From La Chambre, the daring 19km giant averages a vicious 8% and tops out at 1933m.
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Col de La Morte
The lesser known switchback dominated Col de La Morte, situated in the Rhone-Alps travels up to 1368m over 15.3km and averages 6.5%.
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Col d'Ornon
The 11km Col d’Ornon is part of the Dauphiné Alps and has been featured in the Tour de France 7 times in its history. It’s 1373m high and averages a steady 5.8%.
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Col du Lautaret
The Col du Lautaret ascent is a testing 34km (from Le Clapier). Long, yet gentle with an average gradient of 3.8%, climbing up to 2058m.
Col du Lautaret marks the boundary between the valleys of the Romanche and the Guisane and has been climbed regularly throughout Tour de France history, often countered by the connecting Col du Galibier.
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Col du Galibier
The Col du Galibier is incredibly iconic and brutal to pair. Dauntingly high at 2642m, there are multiple challenging ways to reach its sky-high summit. On our 2020, Alps Ride EPIC experience, we’ll be tackling its relentless slopes from the summit of the Col du Lautaret. From the turn, the climb travels 9km at a demanding average of 7%, the final km proving the most difficult. Well rewarded, nonetheless with its truly spectacular glacial views.
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Col du Télégraphe
The Col du Télégraphe has appeared frequently in the Tour de France route since as early as 1911. The 7.3%, 11.8km ascent climbs up to 1566m (via Saint Michel de Maurienne) and it often placed as a hurdle just ahead of its daunting neighbour, the Galbier.
From the Valloire side it is a tamer 4.8km in length, averaging 3.4% - 1566m.
