Great "unknown" climbs

[Frosty]

In that area another nasty little punch finish would be to make them climb Broad Oak Hill out of Bristol then followed by Dundry Hill.

It would certainly free us from the usual boring stages they come up with.

There are plenty off good climbs and passes that they never use in Wales - the road to Bala is good as well and would make for some good climbing.

ie

The Long Mynd in Shropshire has some steep climbs too.

http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Long-Mynd&qryMountainID=8239

http://www.climbbybike.com/profile.asp?Climbprofile=Long-Mynd&MountainID=7402

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

Rosedale Chimney Bank, North Yorkshire. The TOB doesn't use it but if Yorkshire get the rights to host the Grand Depart of the TDF then they could use it for that. Some of the switchbacks are up to 33% gradient.

Add the other short and sharp climbs in the area such as Sutton Bank (max 25% gradient) and you could have a pretty challenging route.

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

I'll try again with a modest contribution.

I would like to see a Tour of Britain stage finish with a climb of Draycott hill and a descent down Cheddar Gorge. Draycott hill is a similar climb to something like Stockeu from LBL. The middle section is a wall.

They're going up Cheddar Gorge this year.

 

[The Falcon]

My favourite climb is Mt Buffalo in Victoria, Australia. Its one i am sure that Hrotha would enjoy being long and steady.



20.9klms at 5.0%






Road is in very good shape and its not a pass, so there is very little traffic. Its a great climb.

 

[bhilden]

The north side of the Col de Lataillade in the Pyrenees is so unknown I can't even find a profile of it though climbbybike.com has a profile of the much easier south/west side.

The Lataillade runs parallel to the Col de Soudet, one valley to the west. The total climbing is 1125m(300m to 1425m) with the overwhelming majority of the elevation gain in the last 10km. Numerous stretches of 15% and some at 18%+. This is one tough climb.

 

[The Womble]

They're going up Cheddar Gorge this year.

Cheddar gorge is lovely but it's not really much of a climb. they used it for the national hillclimb 4 or 5 years ago and people were doing on TT bikes (like they will this year...)

I'm not sure if this has been done recently, but if the Vuelta could do the climb to Sierra Navada and then continue to the end of the road. At 3400m.
I did it on a mountain bike last year and i remember the last bit being gravel and a bit rough but it would be possible to get up towards 3300m without a problem

 

[Eshnar]

Here some italian monsters
Colle del Nivolet (note the lenght)

Monte Finonchio (average gradient 9.7%)

Colle Del Sommeiller (note the altitude... last 5 kms are on sterrato)

 

[Eshnar]

And here's my favourite... Monte Etna, from the sea to the crater (almost)

 

[icefire]

Cheddar gorge is lovely but it's not really much of a climb. they used it for the national hillclimb 4 or 5 years ago and people were doing on TT bikes (like they will this year...)

I'm not sure if this has been done recently, but if the Vuelta could do the climb to Sierra Navada and then continue to the end of the road. At 3400m.
I did it on a mountain bike last year and i remember the last bit being gravel and a bit rough but it would be possible to get up towards 3300m without a problem

There is a 'better' alternative for the first 30 kms of the climb to Mt Veleta that has never been used in a pro race:

Only the section from km 19 to km 26 was included in the 2009 Vuelta.

Even in the race wouldn't enter the National Park protected area above 2500m it's still a monster climb.

 

[Duartista]

Cheddar gorge is lovely but it's not really much of a climb.

Yeah. There's one nasty hairpin but that's it.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Thanks guys, but I meant more like 6-7% average gradients for +20 km, rather than "easy climbs even I could handle"

Col du Sanetsch in Switzerland would qualify. It could easily be included in the TDF as it's not much further out from the French border than Verbier.

The tunnel section is brutal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VP5pTrBqls

 

[Caledon]

This one has only been used in the Tour de France once, in 1994. I hope this sort of meets the criteria. If not, I'll feel free to delete. It needs to be used more definitely.

Val Thorens: a LONG, LONG drag to say the least. In it's only TdF use, it was the summit finish after already climbing the Glandon AND the Madeliene!

I've done this one! Yep, it is a long, long drag and seeing the pics brings back some painful memories. A bee also flew in my mouth that day and stung me too!!!

 

[auscyclefan94]

Continuing on from the above, I couldn't resist posting this pic from the Portal do Inferno, on the Serra da Erada, other side of São Macário:

That upcoming slope 'erks' pain! Do you know the gradient of that upcoming slope?

 

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

Bealach Na Ba. The nearest thing that Britain can get to a continental mountain pass. It's legendary in the UK cycling scene but the TOB would never use it because it's in the middle of nowhere. Such a shame. Probably the most beautiful stretch of road in Britain.

9km long with an average gradient of 6.8% (from the east which is the best imo)

Anyway, details and photo's below.

View from the top:

 

[Descender]

I'm on my phone, but someone should post some profiles from climbs on the Canary Islands... There's anything you want there. Zoncolans, Madeleines, Mendes... And the neverending climbs to Teide.

 

[The Womble]

I'm on my phone, but someone should post some profiles from climbs on the Canary Islands... There's anything you want there. Zoncolans, Madeleines, Mendes... And the neverending climbs to Teide.

That's what i was thinking. I cant find a profile of the climb from Arrieta to Tabayasco but it is 10km at about 5.5%. nothing too serious but at just the right gradient for me. very nice.

 

[L'arriviste]

Now for a bit of Flanders in the UK:

I grew up in the area but I never tried Thwaites Brow and I'd completely forgotten about it until I read a copy of Cycling Weekly last winter.

Starts off unimaginatively in a housing estate before turning into a savage, cobbled killer.

Try it for yourself: Start here on Google Street View!

.

 

[sky forever]

In that area another nasty little punch finish would be to make them climb Broad Oak Hill out of Bristol then followed by Dundry Hill.

It would certainly free us from the usual boring stages they come up with.

There are plenty off good climbs and passes that they never use in Wales - the road to Bala is good as well and would make for some good climbing.

You are right about Bwlch y groes, it is insanely steep and the winds could effect it as well.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Lol wut?

That's like impossible to ride up.

would be amazing to see a race end there tho

 

[Parrulo]

would be amazing to see a race end there tho

do you think its possible if it gets resurfaced with good tarmac?

 

[UpTheRoad]

do you think its possible if it gets resurfaced with good tarmac?

I've read on climbbybike that the road is used by 4-wheel vehicles (jeeps and the like) and that there are farms/houses on the route, so it may be possible by the peloton. A [re]surfacing should be all that is needed as the road is probably wide enough at most spots.

However, from the various videos it seems too narrow for a GT because of the crowds. They will make it even more congested than the worst passes in the TdF. They could do it in a smaller race.

(In the Tour of Austria this year, the climb up the Kitzbuhler Horn wasn't closed to cyclists during the race! There was an old guy climbing it while the racers went past).

EDIT: I don't know the area, but it is about 75km from Bolzano. What other climbs could be used prior to it to cull the herd while still making it survivable? It can't be a short jaunt to the base and then the wall. Too narrow, so there should be something somewhat selective prior to it. Can't be too selective or the DNFs would be huge on Scanuppia. It would probably have to be a very short stage with one smaller climb immediately preceding it.

 

[El Pistolero]

Waipio Valley Road

1km long with an average grade of 25% and maximum grade of 40%

 

[Georgeyc19]

There are a few possible climbs in the UK i dont think have been mentioned so far:

The hardknott pass in the lake district is a beast which has steep sections of 1in3. I make it around 2.5km at about 15% average. It's windy and narrow, but no worse than the climbs in the spring classics. I cycled this on the coast to coast route through the three national parks which would be a great once day style race in my opinion.

Another one is the Great Dun Fell in the pennines which has a road up to around 840m. this isn't open to vehicles, but you can cycle up it and is fully tarmaced. I think this is the highest paved road in the UK, is around 7.5km long and just over 8% average. Maybe not a likely climb for a race, but thought i'd mention it as i dont think it's well known.

Google both and you should get some more info, not sure how to put pics/charts in posts yet!

 

[valentius borealis]

How does Lachat rate in terms of being known?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

1km long with an average grade of 25% and maximum grade of 40%

Again, the point of this thread is to highlight climbs that COULD be used in a race. I know theoretically Scanuppia and that could be used, but realistically it's an impossibility.

Now, to draw a bit of inspiration from one of my other sporting loves - the Nordic skiing disciplines, especially biathlon - here's the climb of Shiligarnika from Bansko, Bulgaria to the Banderica Ski Station and Biathlon Center (10,8km, 7,0%).
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/43394156

Starting from the very centre of the town, this is a relatively consistent gradient climb, and owing to the popularity of the ski run, is in good condition.

At the very top it is less well maintained, but the ski station ensures plenty of room and facilities at the top.