But is the length a real issue for him? Last year he won that mountain stage in Hungary. Sure the opposition wasn't that amazing, but it would show he's at least able to follow a steady pace for a longer time.The max steepness isn't the issue for him i think, just that it can't be too long (compared to punchy climbers). So the average over that length is less steep. It being steeper for 800m isn't an issue imho.