I don’t know about you, but one of my favourite parts of bike racing is watching the pros
battle it out up really brutal climbs.
So we thought we’d have a look at 10 of the hardest climbs ridden in professional
bike races.
Zoncolan If you ask most cyclists what the hardest
climb in professional cycling is, I’d be pretty confident that the majority would name
Monte Zoncolan, and it’s pretty tough to argue otherwise really.
Stats wise it’s pretty outrageous, 10.5km with an 11.5% average, which is hard enough
as it is, but the final 8km average around 15%!!
The tougher side of the Zoncolan from Ovara has featured in the Giro d’Italia 5 times,
and the Giro Rosa once, most recently won by Chris Froome and Annemiek Van Vleuten.
Angliru In terms of European climbs of pro cycling
this is probably the only climb that can challenge the Zoncolan’s claim to be the most brutal
climb in pro cycling.
The Angliru averages 9.8% for 12.5km, with a maximum gradient of a properly eye watering
23.5%.
We all got the chance to ride the Angliru last year, so I can tell you first hand that
this climb is outrageously hard.
I somehow don’t think we got anywhere close to the KOM holder Roberto Heras’ time up
there though, he completed the climb in just 41min 55 secs.
Muro di Sormano The Muro di Sormano featured in Il Lombardia
between 1960 and 1962, but in 1962 it was decided the climb was actually too hard to
race bikes on!
The climb was only restored to the race in 2012, once the road had been completely resurfaced.
Interestingly the road is now painted with quotes and times from riders the 1960s.
What about the stats then?
Well the Muro is only 1.7km long, but it averages 17.5% and maxes out at 25%!
The KOM is currently held by Vincenzo Nibali and Thibaut Pinot with a time of 8min16.
Ventoux The Giant of Provence has to be one of the
most iconic climbs in cycling, but it isn’t here because of the iconic moments that have
happened on its slopes, it’s made out list because it’s just really hard!
The climb, from the more commonly ridden Bedoin side, can really be split into three sections.
The first 5.5km averages a pretty steady 4.4%, just to warm you up.
Then the next 9.5km will really break your legs, averaging over 9%.
The final 6km only averages a bit above 7%, but at this point you’re exposed to the
brutal heat and the savage winds that can batter Mont Ventoux!
Koppenberg If it was a normal, tarmacked road the Koppenberg
would be a pretty hard climb.
It’s 600m long, averages 11.6% and maxes out at 22%.
But the Koppenberg isn’t a normal road.
Instead the road surface is some of the toughest, most slippery cobbles that are raced in the
Tour of Flanders.
Just making it to the top of the Koppenberg is an achievement in itself, and every year
in the Tour of Flanders a number of pros end up walking up most of the climb!
Alto de Letras We’re stepping outside of Europe now with
the Alto de Letras.
This couldn’t be more different to the short and steep Koppenberg, in terms of distance
the Alto de Letras is just out in a league of its own.
The Letras is 80.7km long!
Over that distance riders climb 3187m, giving an average of 3.95%, and a maximum of 11%.
The Alto de Letras has been raced in the Vuelta a Colombia, and to be honest I just can’t
imagine how hard that must be in a bike race!
Mount Wuling This isn’t a climb that many people will
know by name, but you might have heard of the race that climbs Mount Wuling, the Taiwan
KOM Challenge.
Without a doubt the Taiwan KOM Challenge is one of the hardest days on a bike you can
have, or at least that’s what Simon always says.
Over 105km, riders climb 3275m, making it slightly less steep that the Alto de Letras,
but this climb is really about the final 8km.
That last 8km AVERAGES 17%, with a maximum gradient of 27.3%.
Mortirolo We’re in the Alps now with the Passo Mortirolo,
another of the most brutal climbs from the Giro d’Italia.
The Mortirolo averages 10.5% for 12.4km with a maximum gradient of 18%.
The Mortirolo has been climbed 10 times in the Giro from the Mazzo di Valtellina side.
This includes Contador’s incredible ride on stage 16 of the 2015 Giro, where he punctured
at the foot of the climb, chased solo and ended dropping his closest rival, Fabio Aru,
before the top.
Plateau de Solaison Another not very well known climb now, but
one that really should be on more people’s radar, the Plateau de Solaison.
The Solaison has only been raced a couple of times, most famously on the final stage
of the 2017 Criterium du Dauphine, where Jakob Fuglsang snatched the win from Richie Porte.
The Solaison averages 9.2% for 11.3km, including two kilometres at over 11% as the road climbs
a cliff face up from the tiny village of Thuet.
Alto de los Machucos The Alto de los Machucos is steep even by
the standards of the Vuelta a Espana.
The average gradient of the Machucos is a bit misleading, averaging 8.7% for 7.2km.
But the final kilometre is downhill!
At around 2.5km into the climb, the road rears up to 28% and at this point the road is so
steep that it isn’t even tarmacked.
Instead, concrete slabs are used to give cars better traction to make it to the top, that’s
just bonkers!!
There you go, 10 of the hardest climbs in professional cycling, which climbs do you
think should have made the list?
Let us know in the comments section down below