
Lauren Wolff · 7/20/2026
The Categories of Cycling Climbs Explained: From Cat 4 to Hors CatégorieWhether you're watching the Tour de France, tackling your first climb or scrolling through Strava, you've probably come across terms like Category 1 or Hors Catégorie (HC). Cycling climbs are graded from Category 4, the easiest, to HC, the hardest. Understanding those categories helps you judge how demanding a climb is and why some mountains play such an important role in professional racing.
