Alto de L'Angliru V Monte Zoncolan. Which climb is harder?

[auscyclefan94]

Alto de L'Angliru V Monte Zoncolan. Which climb is harder?

Alto de L'Angliru

Length: 12.5km
Ave Gradient: 10.13%
Max Gradient: 23.6%
Max Altitude: 1575m

Monte Zoncolan

Length: 10.1km
Ave Gradient: 11.9%
Max Gradient: 22%
Max Altitude:1730m

Which climb reigns supreme?

 

[auscyclefan94]

I say Zoncolan is harder.

 

[Havetts]

Going for the Angliru, because its more irregular and the part of Cueñas de las Cabres is just insane.

 

[The Hitch]

1 Zoncolan

2 Crostis

3 Finnestre

4 Zoncolan (Sutrio)

5 Angirilu.

 

[Bumeington]

1 Zoncolan

2 Crostis

3 Finnestre

4 Zoncolan (Sutrio)

5 Angirilu.

Of these I've done the Zoncolan (ovaro) and the Finnestre (cycled the Giro route for the prostate cancer charity this year, we chickened out of Crostis since the pros did too), and I would say the Zoncolan is massively hard, but Finnestre has some steep bits at the bottom but then the dirt road bit is just long and a bit of a grind. Between kilometres 1 and 5 on Zoncolan is you stop peddling fast enough you will just fall off which is what makes it so difficult, I would expect Angliru has a similar section, compared to this Finnestre is not so bad.

It depends how you define difficult. I would say the Zoncolan is super difficult because even if you are an accomplished cyclist you have to try really hard just to get to the top, whereas is you wanted to do Finnestre really slowly and with little effort you could it would just take ages. Obviously if you are talking about how selective these climbs are in a race then that is a different matter.

 

[c&cfan]

it depends on the riders will to make it hard and what happened before.

oh, if contador is there, it does get harder.

 

[Lupetto]

Igor Antón will tell us after he did the Zoncolan-Angliru Double.

 

[Anonymous]

it depends on the riders will to make it hard and what happened before.

oh, if contador is there, it does get harder.

welcome back

 

[Bavarianrider]

They both can't **** wit the Nebelhorn

 

[jsem94]

That climb can't compete with Scanuppia.

Anyway, to the actual question - I'd say Zoncolan. It's consistently harder, even though Angliru has steeper ramps. That said, it is up to the riders to make it tough and enjoyable. This year the Zoncolan was rather boring, while Zoncolan 2010 was fantastic, and Zoncolan 2007 spectacular. Angliru 08 was also a treat.

 

[craig1985]

They both can't **** wit the Nebelhorn

Brutal. Another reason why the ToG needs to come back.

 

[No_Balls]

Has anyone ride these climbs? Very difficult to judge from graphics as i suppose everything depends. Too me they both looks brutal with a slight edge to Angliru given the outright "insane parts".

Anyone with the knowledge about the likes of Contador (who have ridden both) and their comparison with the different climbs?

 

[Carols]

Contador says Angliru is harder and he's ridden both. I'll go with his choice...

 

[Descender]

1 Zoncolan

2 Crostis

3 Finnestre

4 Zoncolan (Sutrio)

5 Angirilu.

Ok now you're just teasing.

 

[Anonymous]

Has anyone ride these climbs? Very difficult to judge from graphics as i suppose everything depends. Too me they both looks brutal with a slight edge to Angliru given the outright "insane parts".

Anyone with the knowledge about the likes of Contador (who have ridden both) and their comparison with the different climbs?

I heard it mentioned here that Gilbo said Zoncolan is harder.

 

[Señor_Contador]

L'Anglirú by a substantial amount.

The Zoncolan is simply too regular and its ramps too "soft". Yes, you can find a rythm and abuse your lower back if you need to.

The Cueña Les Cabres is simply too big of a psychological sandbag. Add to it the notoriously bad weather in this part of Asturias and the fact that some sections of the L'Anglirú can't even be ridden standing up (because your backwheel will slip).

Like I said, I've seen Simoni do "Ss" on the road up the L'Anglirú. I've never seen him do the same on the Zoncolan.

 

[Descender]

My mothers says Pla de Beret is harder.

No seriously, I don't think we can make a categorical statement here. They're too different to be compared. I'm sure there's riders who prefer the more regular Zoncolan and others who prefer the irregular ramps of Angliru.

 

[Anonymous]

My mothers says Pla de Beret is harder.

No seriously, I don't think we can make a categorical statement here. They're too different to be compared. I'm sure there's riders who prefer the more regular Zoncolan and others who prefer the irregular ramps of Angliru.

exactamundo.

 

[Señor_Contador]

My mothers says Pla de Beret is harder.

Please specify that Pla de Beret is a mountain and not some Catalonian guy your mom works with.

 

[The Hitch]

I see a lot of Spanish posters are strongly arguing for Angirilu. Is there a correlation between nationality and choice, in this thread?

. I'm sure there's riders who prefer the more regular Zoncolan and others who prefer the irregular ramps of Angliru.

Oh come on you know theres far more to this than irregular vs regular.

Thats like me saying "im sure theres plenty of riders who prefer the 9.9% average gradient of Angirilu and plenty of riders who preffer the 11.9% gradient of Zoncolan".

See, a totaly unbiased statement which judges both mountains evenly.

Besides I dont see how Angirilu is so much more uneven than Zoncolan. On Zonc the kilometer going into the tunnel is 6% and then they get a few hundred meteres at 11%. Also theres a 11%bit at the bottom followed by a 2% followed by a 15%.

 

[Kwibus]

After the Angliru stage I will give my opinion on the matter.

Stay patient, because the definite conclusion will be made soon.

 

[icefire]

Apparently Valerio Agnoli has told Nibali that Angliru is harder:
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2011/08/18/ciclismo/1313684457.html

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Hitch, you're every bit as much of a Zonc fanboy as the Spanish supporting the Angliru. Of course national pride comes into it. Contador said Angliru was harder, Simoni said Zoncolán was harder. I know you were just trolling when you said Zoncolan via Sutrio is harder.

Craig - the Nebelhorn is likely an impossibility to include. They could however use the Fellhorn on the other side of Oberstdorf - that's 9km @ 9,7% climbing to the Bergstation, which is plenty tough enough (though the Deutschlandtour definitely needs to come back, there's a lot of great climbs in the Schwarzwald to use, like Oppenauer Steige and Kandel, in addition to the handful of alpine climbs).

Bavarianrider - why post Nebelhorn? I thought that all climbs were equal in difficulty as long as they had the same altitude gain and so therefore that climb (1089m vertical at an average of 14%) is less difficult than the Parador del Condor (1143m vertical at an average if 3,3%)?

Also, speaking of the Deutschlandtour, I submit this one for your consideration, though it is of course in Austria:

When climbing all the way to the top (the Deutschlandtour used to stop at 2670m iirc) that's 13,3km @ 10,7%, which makes it longer than either, and steeper on average than Angliru. Even in the shorter version used in the Deutschlandtour it was 12,4km @ just a touch over 10%. But, crucially, notice the altitude, being 1000m higher than either Zoncolan or Anglirú.

 

[Descender]

I see a lot of Spanish posters are strongly arguing for Angirilu. Is there a correlation between nationality and choice, in this thread?



Oh come on you know theres far more to this than irregular vs regular.

Thats like me saying "im sure theres plenty of riders who prefer the 9.9% average gradient of Angirilu and plenty of riders who preffer the 11.9% gradient of Zoncolan".

See, a totaly unbiased statement which judges both mountains evenly.

Besides I dont see how Angirilu is so much more uneven than Zoncolan. On Zonc the kilometer going into the tunnel is 6% and then they get a few hundred meteres at 11%. Also theres a 11%bit at the bottom followed by a 2% followed by a 15%.

I didn't say that's all there was to it, did I?

But that is the main difference between the two. The Zoncolan has several kilometres at a very high gradient, not falling below 15% and not giving you a single break. The Angliru has a somewhat easier first half, a short flattish part and a crazy second part with several insane sections of above 20% gradient coupled with 'easier' parts of 12-13%.

They are different, and each one of them is bound to suit some riders more than others.

 

[The Hitch]

Hitch, you're every bit as much of a Zonc fanboy as the Spanish supporting the Angliru. Of course national pride comes into it. Contador said Angliru was harder, Simoni said Zoncolán was harder. I know you were just trolling when you said Zoncolan via Sutrio is harder.

Joking

I was joking

Not trolling.

Even Descender saw the funny-side

And my love for Zoncolan comes from the fact that I genuinely believe it to be the biggest baddest mountain in this thing of ours, and my primitive brain sees pure steepness and difficulty as the main quality, whereas you for example like Marmolada because you take into account other aspects.

Its not like I have any other reason to cheer for the Zonc. Ive never been to the dolomites and im a sucker for pretty much anything Spanish, (except la roja which i despise).

Especially anything to do with Spanish cycling (ive been accused of being a Samu, Contador and Purito fanboy all in the last week)

And Angry lu of course shares its home with Samu Sanchez.

When they find a 12.1% climb over 10km in Spain, i will cheer it all the way.

But until then, the pure brutality of Zoncolan with its world record gradient for a climb of that lenght, and the fact that its super steep all the way wins me over everytime.