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Tour Climbs: The complete guide to every mountain stage on the Tour de France
The first book to cover in detail every major climb ever used in the Tour de France, including detail on the actual route (with maps and profile), length, height, list of winners and route descriptions of how to emulate the King of the Mountains and get from the bottom to the top.
Every year the Tour de France is said to only really start when it reaches the first mountain the drama of the race only really begins as the climbers take over in the Pyrenees, Vosges or Alps. The Tour is also the most famous classic in cycling and draws huge audiences to the TV and internet coverage (the official web site holds the world record for number of hits excluding search engines).But the route of the Tour is not just for professionals. A growing number of people now take their bikes and actually do a stage of the Tour (the Etap - for amateurs, which this year attracted 8,000 people to climb one of the hardest mountain stages in the Tour) or spend a week doing some of the more notorious climbs (Ventoux - where Tommy Simpson died in the 50s).This book is for everyone who watches the Tour and has even the slightest of an inkling that they'd like to do at least one of the climbs. Packed with information on each climb, this is the ultimate guide to the Tour climbs, which will remain important for many years to come (the Tour only uses a set number of climbs, which they return to every couple of years).Contents - Eastern Pyrenees, Central Pyrenees, Western Pyrenees, Vosges & Jura, Massif & Cevennes, Northern Alps, Central Alps and Southern Alps
Every year the Tour de France is said to only really start when it reaches the first mountain the drama of the race only really begins as the climbers take over in the Pyrenees, Vosges or Alps. The Tour is also the most famous classic in cycling and draws huge audiences to the TV and internet coverage (the official web site holds the world record for number of hits excluding search engines).But the route of the Tour is not just for professionals. A growing number of people now take their bikes and actually do a stage of the Tour (the Etap - for amateurs, which this year attracted 8,000 people to climb one of the hardest mountain stages in the Tour) or spend a week doing some of the more notorious climbs (Ventoux - where Tommy Simpson died in the 50s).This book is for everyone who watches the Tour and has even the slightest of an inkling that they'd like to do at least one of the climbs. Packed with information on each climb, this is the ultimate guide to the Tour climbs, which will remain important for many years to come (the Tour only uses a set number of climbs, which they return to every couple of years).Contents - Eastern Pyrenees, Central Pyrenees, Western Pyrenees, Vosges & Jura, Massif & Cevennes, Northern Alps, Central Alps and Southern Alps
- GenresCyclingSportsNonfiction
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2008
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February 20, 2020
I've never actually attended the Tour de France and I can't recall the last time I climbed onto a bike, but this three week orgy of pain and controversy is an event I've religiously followed for as long as I can remember. Its the most gruelling major sporting event I can think of and the best stages (there are 21 in all) are those that go up hill - that is, steeply up hill! The mountain ranges of the Alps and Pyrenees feature strongly but there are other climbs too, such as Mont Ventoux, a dreadful drag up a featureless incline which claimed the life of British rider Tom Simpson in 1967.
Most peoples favourite and therefore a stage that features often in Le Tour is the climb up to the ski station at Alpe d'Huez. Massive crowd cover the entire 14.5 kilometre route as the cyclists battle their way up through twenty-one hair-pin bends with gradients on the climb reaching up to thirteen percent. It's always an amazing spectacle and great honour awaits the first climber to reach the summit.
This book details all the famous (and some not so famous) climbs, with pictures, history and statistics providing a comprehensive overview. I not sure when I first bought this book, but it was a long time ago and each year since when the route is announced I pounce on it and study which climbs are included in this years race, hoping that some of my favourites will have been included. It's a fantastic item for any cycling fan to have on his or her bookshelf.
Most peoples favourite and therefore a stage that features often in Le Tour is the climb up to the ski station at Alpe d'Huez. Massive crowd cover the entire 14.5 kilometre route as the cyclists battle their way up through twenty-one hair-pin bends with gradients on the climb reaching up to thirteen percent. It's always an amazing spectacle and great honour awaits the first climber to reach the summit.
This book details all the famous (and some not so famous) climbs, with pictures, history and statistics providing a comprehensive overview. I not sure when I first bought this book, but it was a long time ago and each year since when the route is announced I pounce on it and study which climbs are included in this years race, hoping that some of my favourites will have been included. It's a fantastic item for any cycling fan to have on his or her bookshelf.
Displaying 1 of 1 review