Hard Climbs That Have Never Featured in a GT

[Descender]

If there is a thread already about this, I didn't find it.

I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of what we think are the hardest climbs in France, Italy and Spain that have never been used in any of the GTs and are in good and cyclable conditions (cyclable sterrato, cement etc. would count). I will start with the Vuelta by copy pasting a post of mine in another thread.



Some of the big HC that have never been ridden in the Vuelta and are perfectly adapted for road bikes (big props again to the lads at altimetrias.net):


MTFs, just to choose one from each big mountain zone (South-East, Pyrenees, Asturias):

Collado Alguacil

Coll de Pal (do not confuse with Andorra-Pal, climbed in this year's Vuelta and quite easier).

This has been climbed before in professional cycling though, the last time five years ago in the now defunct Setmana Catalana. Guess who won.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTtrUjWvAJE&feature=related



Jito d'Escarandi

 

[The Hitch]

tsf has some good profiles of climbs in Corsica which we would really really like to see in a gt rather than just the criterium jens voigt.

 

[Descender]

Mountain passes:

Ancares (via Pan do Zarco)

Fonte da Cova (via Medua)

Pradell

And my favourite, the hardest mountain pass in Spain and comparable to the Stelvio, Galibier or Fauniera...

Collado de las Sabinas

Many of those climbs are perfectly linkable to one another, for instance Pradell+Pal or Sabinas+Alguacil. I drool just at the thought of it...

 

[roundabout]

 

[Descender]

tsf has some good profiles of climbs in Corsica which we would really really like to see in a gt rather than just the criterium jens voigt.

You're right, but islands are always very conflictive unless they have a short strait like Sicily... come to it, there are some absolute monsters in the Canary Islands.

 

[icefire]

You're right, but islands are always very conflictive unless they have a short strait like Sicily... come to it, there are some absolute monsters in the Canary Islands.

It comes as a surprise to me, given your nickname, that you forget Cobertoria East side. Always descended, never climbed.

The guys in Asturias organised in September this year for the first time a cyclosportive to promote this climb which shares its first 9kms with the East side of Cobertoria:

From what I've read, that profile is a bit old. The road has been somewhat 'improved' and it takes almost 1km less to get to the 1100 m altitude mark.

I'd add this one in the French Atlantic Pyrenees, which is climbed in another cyclosportive together with Larrau:

 

[Descender]

It comes as a surprise to me, given your nickname, that you forget Cobertoria East side. Always descended, never climbed.

The guys in Asturias organised in September this year for the first time a cyclosportive to promote this climb which shares its first 9kms with the East side of Cobertoria:

From what I've read, that profile is a bit old. The road has been somewhat 'improved' and it takes almost 1km less to get to the 1100 m altitude mark.

I'd add this one in the French Atlantic Pyrenees, which is climbed in another cyclosportive together with Larrau:

I didn't forget it, see? http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showpost.php?p=391972&postcount=29




The climb up to the Gamoniteiru is at the moment not cyclable in a racing bike as you probably know though.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Has the Giro ever crossed the border into Austria to use the Kaunertal? Long and gradual but that last few kilometres will be a killer.

The base (Prutz) is very close to the bottom of the descent from Serfaus, you could feasibly link that from a bit of the Cima Undici, and that wouldn't be too ridiculously far from the Passo di Stelvio if you started the stage in Bormio; the problem then would be that it's a mighty waste of a climb like Stelvio of course.

 

[Damiano]

I'm not sure, but I don't think they ever raced here:

 

[valentius borealis]

I'm not sure how they'd be able to handle the logistics for a MTF on this climb (which shares approx. its first 10km with the Col de la Madeleine).

 

[dolophonic]

Could not find a profile but i have climbed it and its steep.

http://www.monte-amiata.com/

 

[Descender]

Scarnuppia is too steep, inhuman.

 

[roundabout]

Could not find a profile but i have climbed it and its steep.

http://www.monte-amiata.com/

It's been used in the Giro before apparently.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Scarnuppia is too steep, inhuman.

it would be awesome to see it in the Giro, but maybe slightly nuts for everyone that weighs more than 55 kg

 

[jens_attacks]

it would be awesome to see it in the Giro, but maybe slightly nuts for everyone that weighs more than 55 kg

the guys who will do push bike,they would probably go at the same speed with the guys riding on the saddle so a rule like "if you put your foot down,you get a 1-minute penalty" would be pretty necessary.someday in the future scanuppia will be in the giro because zomegnan is crazy enough.

 

[Michielveedeebee]

the guys who will do push bike,they would probably go at the same speed with the guys riding on the saddle so a rule like "if you put your foot down,you get a 1-minute penalty" would be pretty necessary.someday in the future scanuppia will be in the giro because zomegnan is crazy enough.

sometimes crazy = awesome
at least in Zomegnan's case