Climbing

The Tour de France is one of cycling’s three Grand Tours, and the 2026 edition stands out for a route that begins in Barcelona before building toward a decisive Alpine finale on the road to the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Discover the world’s most iconic cycling climbs and unforgettable routes that every passionate rider should experience at least once. Whether you're conquering alpine legends outdoors or tackling epic ascents virtually on ROUVY, this guide will inspire your ultimate cycling bucket list.

With Trek Travel and ROUVY, you can take on the ultimate challenge through the towering peaks of the French Alps, either in real life or on ROUVY! On this exciting adventure, you will ride the top legendary climbs and conquer their steep gradients, and as a reward, you will be treated to their majestic panoramic mountain views. The Route des Grandes Alpes is a bucket list dream come true for any passionate cyclist who loves adventure and nature! It spans the heart of the French Alps and offers a to-do list of cycling destinations for some of the most challenging mountain passes in the world. Are you in?

The Czech Tour 2024 was a thrilling four-day race held from July 25 to July 28, 2024, just four days after the Tour de France. It featured diverse flat sprints, steep climbs, and challenging terrain across various Czech regions. The event covered a total distance of 587 km and gained 9,156 metres across its four stages​, promising a variety of terrains and challenges for the riders and excitement for the spectators.

I want to take you on an extraordinary climbing journey! One that will make you feel as though you are outdoors in nature, exploring climbs in Europe. These selected climbs provide exciting insights, background stories, and historical myths and legends to read before you start that will add to your immersive riding experience.

Organizers of the Grand Tours aim to plan the most challenging routes that push the riders to their limits, where a succession of brutal climbs with no rest in mountain stages and mountain-top finishes leave no doubts about who the winner is.

Eine Bergfahrt, das ist ein bedeutsames Thema im Radsport. Es erfordert Kraft, Geschicklichkeit, Technik, und auch mentale Stärke. Nicht selten ist man manchmal überwältigt von dem Anstieg am Berg, und zu lernen, wie man ein hervorragender Bergfahrer wird, ist eine Herausforderung.

Alpe d'Huez is undeniably the world's most famous climb. With over 30 appearances in the Tour since 1952 and a regular stage mountain top finish since 1976, it is one that you have to do and get a taste of the suffering, pain and glory! While it is not the most challenging climb in the Tour, Alpe d'Huez is usually the grand finale to a long and gruelling Alpine stage, often including Col du Madeleine, La Croix de Fer and Glandon. Also, the experience of the journey of carving one's way up the mountain and not just the final destination to the top makes it unique: The countdown of the 21 hairpins, which, during the Tour, is lined with over a million spectators, makes this event magical, and the atmosphere pulsating.

When it comes to tough cycling climbs, the French Alps are one of the best places to visit. The delight of breaking free from the drab moorings of everyday life, the joy of motion, the splendor of rolling past trees, rivers and lakes - and of course up climbs! Options of legendary roads pointing upwards to pit yourself against gravity await you to achieve your bucket list of goals of reaching the summits. There are ample opportunities to push yourself to and beyond your limits, along with unbeatable views on the altitude-charged switchback ascents with backdrops of snow-capped peaks to the fast and breathtaking snaking descents. We will tackle the Col du Télégraphe - Col du Galibier as a to-do on our bucket list and read some interesting facts about this legendary French climb.