Favorite climbs in Grand Tours

[Red Rick]

Who pays for Angliru? Keep in mind Angliru is 15 minutes from Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, every year the Government of Asturias pays 200,000 euros for 2 stages in Asturias in that central area where the majority of the population (and voters) is concentrated,

And the western area of Asturias is the great forgotten, an area with more than 50 first-category mountain passes, which have never been climbed in competition, with colossi such as La Marta, La Bobia, Pozo de Nieve, Bustellan, Pelliceira, El Palo, Valvaler. ..........

Spoiler: Comparison between climbs

La Bobia

La Marta

I knew about Pelliceira from fan combos with Ancares. Savage combination.

 

[Bolder]

I just couldn't help but vote for the Finestre. As someone said, it always delivers, no matter where it is in a stage, which is a key for me.

Stelvio might be second, with AdH third. The "gimmick" climbs with 20% gradients are cool, but feel a bit like artificial drama.

 

[Netserk]

Finestre was somewhat dull in 2011.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Finestre was somewhat dull in 2011.

That's for similar reasons to Ventoux in 2009 or Zoncolan in 2014 though. It was set up to be this great climactic battleground as the last chance for time to be made, but the best climber in the race already had the leaders' jersey, everybody else knew that the race leader was the best climber in the race, and that leader wasn't interested in taking risks to extend their lead, so it just went to the break. Kiryienka's win is a sentimental favourite, but the stage wasn't all that much to write home about.

 

[skippo12]

Not exactly the most used climb or the one that has seen the most action but I have a soft spot for the Col de la Bonnette. Probably more about the rough nature around it. They should really give it another try. Last time they used the climb was in 08 and they kinda wasted it. I guess outside of the Lombarde combination it is just not easy to fit into a regular mountain stage.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Not exactly the most used climb or the one that has seen the most action but I have a soft spot for the Col de la Bonnette. Probably more about the rough nature around it. They should really give it another try. Last time they used the climb was in 08 and they kinda wasted it. I guess outside of the Lombarde combination it is just not easy to fit into a regular mountain stage.

2016 Giro?

 

[fbjim]

I was really, really happy to see Luz Ardiden back in the Tour, even if the race was pretty much decided by then.


But my absolute favorite underrated Tour climb is the Joux-Plane. Just an absolutely nasty, irregular beast which doesn't even finish at the top, instead giving you a miserable false-flat before the descent.

 

[tobydawq]

Not exactly the most used climb or the one that has seen the most action but I have a soft spot for the Col de la Bonnette. Probably more about the rough nature around it. They should really give it another try. Last time they used the climb was in 08 and they kinda wasted it. I guess outside of the Lombarde combination it is just not easy to fit into a regular mountain stage.

Those images from 2008 where they at some point ride on what looks like the upper ridge of a roof with diagonal abysses on both sides are really triggering my fear of heights.

 

[Red Rick]

Those images from 2008 where they at some point ride on what looks like the upper ridge of a roof with diagonal abysses on both sides are really triggering my fear of heights.

Spoiler: Like this?

It's mostly the Cima I think. And Augustyn went over the edge and wasn't even hurt IIRC.

 

[skippo12]

2016 Giro?

Was focusing on the Tour. Me being a Nibali fanboy has nothing to do with it

But the stage also highlights the limitations. Lombarde-Bonette or Bonette-Lombarde as the only possible combinations.

 

[tobydawq]

Spoiler: Like this?

It's mostly the Cima I think. And Augustyn went over the edge and wasn't even hurt IIRC.

Yeah, I just looked for some footage after I posted but it seems like I had built it up in my head since then. It was a very short distance on the way up, and the abysses were not nearly as abyss-like as I had remembered.

 

[Jan the Man]

Fedaia or Giau for me

Joux plane in france

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Spoiler: Like this?

It's mostly the Cima I think. And Augustyn went over the edge and wasn't even hurt IIRC.

Legend says his bike is still descending the Bonette to this day, however.

 

[Red Rick]

Legend says his bike is still descending the Bonette to this day, however.

If Kruijswijk hadn't crashed into the snow the day before he'd surely have been hit by that bike on that stage in 2016 and lost that way

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Wow, Finestre is crushing the competition. I thought Stelvio and Mortirolo would be closer.

 

[Red Rick]

Wow, Finestre is crushing the competition. I thought Stelvio and Mortirolo would be closer.

I think Stelvio from Prato has only been done once in the last 15 years and it wasn't exactly everyone's favorite and the most hyped riders lighting it up.

Mortirolo on the other hand is an amazing climb but I think still kinda middle of the road for "most favorite climbs" levels. Finestre is basically the hardest climb in GT cycling along with having a mythical aesthetic.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I think Stelvio from Prato has only been done once in the last 15 years and it wasn't exactly everyone's favorite and the most hyped riders lighting it up.

Mortirolo on the other hand is an amazing climb but I think still kinda middle of the road for "most favorite climbs" levels. Finestre is basically the hardest climb in GT cycling along with having a mythical aesthetic.

Agreed on Stelvio. Prato side being used so rarely is like a crime by the organizers. So huge, sufficiently steep with amazing visuals of highest peaks of Southeastern Alps.
As for Mortirolo, it has almost everything (difficuly, location in stages, history) but visuals are not as stunning as in case of its rivals (forests, forests, forests).

 

[BigCoward]

Ignoring the scenery, how they have provided drama in the past and how they can slot into a route, only judging the climb would probably produce such different lists. My top 3 on this ranking.
Angello
Stelvio
Galibier

 

[Red Rick]

Ignoring the scenery, how they have provided drama in the past and how they can slot into a route, only judging the climb would probably produce such different lists. My top 3 on this ranking.
Angello
Stelvio
Galibier

Funny thing is Galibier doesn't even fit into stages very well, the Lauteret descent is so shallow and wide. Granon is probably the shortest distance to a next climb and I doubt we'll see action on Galibier.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Ignoring the scenery, how they have provided drama in the past and how they can slot into a route, only judging the climb would probably produce such different lists. My top 3 on this ranking.
Angello
Stelvio
Galibier

If we're going that way, then Madeleine is enormously underrated too.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Funny thing is Galibier doesn't even fit into stages very well, the Lauteret descent is so shallow and wide. Granon is probably the shortest distance to a next climb and I doubt we'll see action on Galibier.

A Pantani tribute stage with a finish in LdA is probably the nmbest thing if you want action on the Galibier. Put a monster mtf like Loze 1 day earlier and 1 or 2 proper climbs before the Galibier.

 

[Cookster15]

2016 Giro?

The Bonnette isn't the same unless they ride over the loop around Cime de la Bonette - 2,802 metres. Highest paved road in the Alpes? I first noticed this climb watching Indurain and Rominger in 1993 TdF.

Col de la Bonette

Climbing its way through the Mercantour National Park, at 24km in length the Col de la Bonette really is an ascent that needs absolute respect right from the start. Pacing, pacing, pacing should be circulating in your head like a broken record throughout, especially as the steepest gradients up...

thecolcollective.com

 

[Nirvana]

Incredible that only one person cited the Agnello, when I think of it always comes to my mind the poster that in 2016 wrote that "it's like having an higher altitude Giau on the top of a Sestriere" and generally you have also the long run in from almost sea level, not to mention the fact that it connects perfectly with Izoard making one of the best combo ever seen but could be used as second last climb also with other climbs farther away because it's so hard that is going to trigger action even with a valley in between extending the GC action time.

 

[Red Rick]

Incredible that only one person cited the Agnello, when I think of it always comes to my mind the poster that in 2016 wrote that "it's like having an higher altitude Giau on the top of a Sestriere" and generally you have also the long run in from almost sea level, not to mention the fact that it connects perfectly with Izoard making one of the best combo ever seen but could be used as second last climb also with other climbs farther away because it's so hard that is going to trigger action even with a valley in between extending the GC action time.

I'd be a bit hard pressed to find the reasons why Agnello isn't rated as highly tbh. I do think it shoudl've been included in the poll over the Giau or Ancares.

Aside from that I think it has

• Less impressive average gradient, which is indeed deceiving. However the hard stretch is "only" about 33-36 minutes so it doesn't really get the image of this infinite climb like Stelvio does
• it was canceled the last time
• most of the time it doesn't feature as the "big climb into smaller climb" format
• I guess it's harder to include in races cause it's a border pass?

Still I do think Agnello is fantastic and the 2020 stage getting canceled like it did his highway robbery

 

[ice&fire]

The Bonnette isn't the same unless they ride over the loop around Cime de la Bonette - 2,802 metres. Highest paved road in the Alpes? I first noticed this climb watching Indurain and Rominger in 1993 TdF.

Col de la Bonette

Climbing its way through the Mercantour National Park, at 24km in length the Col de la Bonette really is an ascent that needs absolute respect right from the start. Pacing, pacing, pacing should be circulating in your head like a broken record throughout, especially as the steepest gradients up...

thecolcollective.com

Nobody noticed it before because there was no live TV when Bahamontes ruled that mountain.