Iconic road climbs · by country
Ride the mountains that made cycling legend
Best Cycling Climbs is a practical guide to the passes and summit finishes every road rider talks about — organised by country, with clear facts, experience notes, and tips you can use before you clip in.
Browse by country
Start with France — home to the Tour's most famous Alps and Pyrenees climbs — then head to Italy and Spain for Giro and Vuelta legends. More countries are on the way.
France
Alpe d'Huez, Mont Ventoux, Tourmalet, Galibier, Télégraphe, Croix de Fer, Glandon, Madeleine, Ranfolly, Joux Plane, Avoriaz, Chamrousse — map, facts, and English ride guides.
Italy
Passo dello Stelvio — 48 hairpins to 2,757 m, the Giro's Cima Coppi — plus the Passo di Gavia and Monte Zoncolan. Mortirolo and other Giro legends are planned next.
Spain
Alto de l'Angliru — 12.5 km at 10% with 23.5% ramps, the Vuelta's steepest finish — and Sa Calobra in Mallorca, 9.4 km at 7% from the sea. Lagos de Covadonga and more are on the roadmap.
Featured France climbs
A sample of the French Alps and Pyrenees guides. See the full France list and map on the country page.
Alpe d'Huez
Twenty-one numbered hairpins, Dutch Corner, and a finish that feels like Hollywood. Alpe d'Huez is the climb every road …
Mont Ventoux
The Giant of Provence stands alone above the vineyards — three roads to a bald limestone summit at 1,910 m, a Tour de Fr…
Col du Tourmalet
The Giant of the Pyrenees: a long, honest climb to 2,115 m, crowned by the Géant du Tourmalet statue and a century of To…
Col d'Izoard
Bare scree, rock towers and a road that drops for a moment before the last climb to 2,360 m: the Casse Déserte makes the…
Col d'Aubisque
A gentle start through the forest, a hard middle to the ski resort of Gourette and a final four kilometres among grazing…
Col de la Bonette
The Bonette is two summits in one. The road crosses the Col de la Bonette at 2,715 m, and from there a short loop climbs…
Why these guides
Race coverage shows the suffering. We focus on what a visiting cyclist needs: distance, grade, elevation, how the road feels, and a short list of tips that actually matter on the day.
- Quick-fact cards you can screenshot before the ride
- Experience notes written for sportive and touring riders
- Honest caveats on weather, altitude, and descents