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

[Eshnar]

Would Finestre be generally regarded as the 4th toughest climb in GT's?

18 kms @ 9% with half of it a non paved road. That's a beast.

I think it would.... but we could argue forever about the fact that its constant grades (never gets under 8% and gets above 10% only once) could make it easier than other climbs.

 

[The Hitch]

Would Finestre be generally regarded as the 4th toughest climb in GT's?

18 kms @ 9% with half of it a non paved road. That's a beast.

I agree it is a beast, and it has loads of hairpins and 40% of it is unpaved. Oh and its 9.2% btw, even worse

I think generally regarded Finnestre is knowhere yet though.

It would be like this- "general opinion".

1 Mortirolo
2 Angliru
3 Ventoux
4 Zoncolan

Forum opinion

1 Zoncolan
2 Angliru
3 Mortirolo
4 Kronplatz
5 Finnestre
6 Stelvio

My opinion
1 Zoncolan
2 Angliru
3 Finnestre
4 Crostis.
5 Mortirolo



As far as "generally regarded" goes, I do not think that correlates too strongly with the actual difficulty order.

Generally I think Mortirolo is regarded as the toughest climb. Its been around a lot longer than Zoncolan, quite a bit longer than Angliru and has always been regarded as super tough. Mortirolo has been used 10 times and had a decade to build up its number 1 status until Angliru was introduced.


Zoncolan Ovaro has been used only 3 times and the first time in 2007. Even though its had 1 hell of an impact thats still a very short time to suddenly get regarded as the hardest. Moreover Zoncolan is just another monster the Giro has in its arsenal, and just another huge introduction by a race which seems to come up with tougher climbs every few years.

Angliru has been used twice more than Zoncolan OVaro, been around for over a decade now, and is seen as that Vuelta climb. By far the hardest the 3rd gt has to offer and always produces carnage.

Finnestre has only been used twice, and while the first one will possibly be 1 of the best remembered stages in cycling history, it needs a few more gc deciding climbs of it to go down in mountain folklore next to Mortirolo, Angliru Zoncolan.

On the forum though, during the Giro last year 1 or 2 posters said they thought Finnestre was harder than Zoncolan and than Crostis, and 1 person said he thought Finnestre alone made the otherwise tame stage 20, the queen stage. 1 calculated using his own equation that Finnestre was the hardest mountain in the world followed by Crostis Zoncolan and Angliru.

But it should be mentioned that all the other climbs held in such high regard are short and steep regularly go above 10% and none of them is longer than 12 or 13km. When it comes to long climbs Finnestre and Stelvio are easily the hardest.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Rettenbachferner really needs to be in there somewhere. It's more or less the same figures as the Mortirolo, but 1000m higher up.

 

[will10]

Enough of the Crostis propaganda Hitch, it's a fantasy, no pro race will go up that climb in the foreseeable future.

 

[The Hitch]

Enough of the Crostis propaganda Hitch, it's a fantasy, no pro race will go up that climb in the foreseeable future.

So we cant even mention the Crostis once because you consider it "porpaganda"? I didnt even write anything about it ffs just pointed out that 1 poster rated it higher than Zoncolan and included it in my list of top climbs.

 

[will10]

So we cant even mention the Crostis once because you consider it "porpaganda"? I didnt even write anything about it ffs just pointed out that 1 poster rated it higher than Zoncolan and included it in my list of top climbs.

mention it once? Cmon Hitch, how many times have you posted the Crostis - Zoncolan profile on this forum?

 

[The Hitch]

mention it once? Cmon Hitch, how many times have you posted the Crostis - Zoncolan profile on this forum?

2 or 3 times. maybe once since May.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

I nominate The Hitch as crostis propoganda minister

 

[Peccio89]

I'm very curious to see how the race will be on Punta Veleno at next year Giro del Trentino. That is sure a really tough climb, and i think that if it pass the test, they may use it in the Giro too in the future.( maybe 2014)

 

[Wrecktangle]

You must ask David Millar, as I recall he had some problem on that Spanish mountain.

 

[gregrowlerson]

I agree it is a beast, and it has loads of hairpins and 40% of it is unpaved. Oh and its 9.2% btw, even worse

I think generally regarded Finnestre is knowhere yet though.

It would be like this- "general opinion".

1 Mortirolo
2 Angliru
3 Ventoux
4 Zoncolan

Forum opinion

1 Zoncolan
2 Angliru
3 Mortirolo
4 Kronplatz
5 Finnestre
6 Stelvio

My opinion
1 Zoncolan
2 Angliru
3 Finnestre
4 Crostis.
5 Mortirolo



As far as "generally regarded" goes, I do not think that correlates too strongly with the actual difficulty order.

Generally I think Mortirolo is regarded as the toughest climb. Its been around a lot longer than Zoncolan, quite a bit longer than Angliru and has always been regarded as super tough. Mortirolo has been used 10 times and had a decade to build up its number 1 status until Angliru was introduced.


Zoncolan Ovaro has been used only 3 times and the first time in 2007. Even though its had 1 hell of an impact thats still a very short time to suddenly get regarded as the hardest. Moreover Zoncolan is just another monster the Giro has in its arsenal, and just another huge introduction by a race which seems to come up with tougher climbs every few years.

Angliru has been used twice more than Zoncolan OVaro, been around for over a decade now, and is seen as that Vuelta climb. By far the hardest the 3rd gt has to offer and always produces carnage.

Finnestre has only been used twice, and while the first one will possibly be 1 of the best remembered stages in cycling history, it needs a few more gc deciding climbs of it to go down in mountain folklore next to Mortirolo, Angliru Zoncolan.

On the forum though, during the Giro last year 1 or 2 posters said they thought Finnestre was harder than Zoncolan and than Crostis, and 1 person said he thought Finnestre alone made the otherwise tame stage 20, the queen stage. 1 calculated using his own equation that Finnestre was the hardest mountain in the world followed by Crostis Zoncolan and Angliru.

But it should be mentioned that all the other climbs held in such high regard are short and steep regularly go above 10% and none of them is longer than 12 or 13km. When it comes to long climbs Finnestre and Stelvio are easily the hardest.

Well I like your opinion on the climbs (even though it includes more of your crostis propoganda ). As for the long climbs, wouldn't Agnel (from the Italian side) be up there with Finnestre and Stelvio? Overall about 21 kms at just over 7%, but if I remember rightly the final 9kms are at about 10%. I would like to see that climb used at a pivotal time in either the Giro or TDF.

 

[The Hitch]

Well I like your opinion on the climbs (even though it includes more of your crostis propoganda ). As for the long climbs, wouldn't Agnel (from the Italian side) be up there with Finnestre and Stelvio? Overall about 21 kms at just over 7%, but if I remember rightly the final 9kms are at about 10%. I would like to see that climb used at a pivotal time in either the Giro or TDF.

I remember feeling the Agnel was an exrtremely hard climb by TDF standards but its not quite up there with Finnestre and Stelvio.

Agnel has an average gradient of 6.5 from either side whereas stelvio Prato has 7.4 and is 2k longer.

Bare in mind that another of Agnel's biggest draws is that it is one of the highest points altitude wise any grand tour has ever reached, but yet the Stelvio manages to beat Agnleo there. A mere 14 m in it 2758 to 2744 for Agnel but higher none the less.

But yeah, more use of the Agnel from Italian side please, especially in the TDF.

 

[Netserk]

according to traks4bikes.com Crostis is a more difficult climb than the Zonz.

36 * vs 34 *

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

I remember feeling the Agnel was an exrtremely hard climb by TDF standards but its not quite up there with Finnestre and Stelvio.

Agnel has an average gradient of 6.5 from either side whereas stelvio Prato has 7.4 and is 2k longer.

Bare in mind that another of Agnel's biggest draws is that it is one of the highest points altitude wise any grand tour has ever reached, but yet the Stelvio manages to beat Agnleo there. A mere 14 m in it 2758 to 2744 for Agnel but higher none the less.

But yeah, more use of the Agnel from Italian side please, especially in the TDF.

I've climbed both from their hardest side and Agnello seemed harder to me, even though it has less actual climbing. At these altitudes, though, you won't find much harder in the Alps, barring maybe Austria.

Stelvio is just a longer Tourmalet with better scenery. Gavia is harder, IMO.

I love the Tourmalet, though. From the east, that is.

 

[Kwibus]

I've climbed both from their hardest side and Agnello seemed harder to me, even though it has less actual climbing. At these altitudes, though, you won't find much harder in the Alps, barring maybe Austria.

Stelvio is just a longer Tourmalet with better scenery. Gavia is harder, IMO.

I love the Tourmalet, though. From the east, that is.

I envy you and yet I know I'm the only one who can change that

 

[Dancing On The Pedals]

Honourable mention to the Kitzbuheler Horn - not the longest and not the highest by any means, but an average of 12.9% and a maximum of 22.5%.

 

[Daffy]

Found this old thread about a subject that interests me
Having ridden all three of the common comparisons (Angliru, Zoncolan, Mortirolo) - to me.... Zoncolan is the worst by a margin. Relentless from the start to the tunnel - and you can see up ramps. Angliru has a really nasty last section but overall not as nasty. I would say then Angliru due to that really steep ramp and then Mortirolo not too far behind.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Well now that you’ve bumped this, does anyone have a list of the top performances on each of these climbs?

 

[Red Rick]

Well now that you’ve bumped this, does anyone have a list of the top performances on each of these climbs?

From Mihai Simions blog

Zoncolan 2007:9,8 km@12,2%---39:03---average speed 15.06 km/h(Simoni-Piepoli)-RECORD

Mortirolo 1999:11,7 km km@11,1%---41:42---average speed 16.83 km/h(Gotti-Heras-Simoni)-RECORD

Angliru 2000:12,8 km@9,6%---41:55---average speed 18.32 km/h(Roberto Heras)-RECORD

Finestre 2011:18,3 km@9,2%---1:02:09---average speed 17.67 km/h(Jose Rujano)-RECORD

 

[OlavEH]

The difference between the 90s and the later years on Mortirolo is just amazing. 2,5 to 3 minutes on 42-45 minutes of cycling. That is 6-7 % difference. And certainly due to clinic issues.

http://www.climbing-records.com/2019/05/migul-angel-lopez-fastest-on-mortirolo.html

 

[Krzysztof_O]

The difference between the 90s and the later years on Mortirolo is just amazing. 2,5 to 3 minutes on 42-45 minutes of cycling. That is 6-7 % difference. And certainly due to clinic issues.

http://www.climbing-records.com/2019/05/migul-angel-lopez-fastest-on-mortirolo.html

VAM of almost 1870 m/h for over 40 minutes is ridiculous, even considering the steep gradient.

 

[houtdffan]

I think it would.... but we could argue forever about the fact that its constant grades (never gets under 8% and gets above 10% only once) could make it easier than other climbs.

Finestre is MUCH harder than Zoncolon / Algliru. The length and the offroad nature make it harder.

Yes, it doesn't have the insane gradients. However, conversely, it also does not have the corresponding lower gradients. The offroad nature also makes it so very tough.

That climb causes far larger time gaps than do the other two climbs, and it has yet to be used as an MTF. Peloton has never made it over in tact, even when it was the first climb in 2018. That says something for how hard that climb is

 

[sir fly]

It's a dilemma (and question) that can be objectively addressed.
The answer lies in the intersection of the length, gradient and altitude.

 

[Valv.Piti]

I dont trust anybody who says X climb is MUCH harder than the others out of these beasts

 

[Red Rick]

Finestre is MUCH harder than Zoncolon / Algliru. The length and the offroad nature make it harder.

Yes, it doesn't have the insane gradients. However, conversely, it also does not have the corresponding lower gradients. The offroad nature also makes it so very tough.

That climb causes far larger time gaps than do the other two climbs, and it has yet to be used as an MTF. Peloton has never made it over in tact, even when it was the first climb in 2018. That says something for how hard that climb is

Finestre was the 2nd climb in 2018.