Whether 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.

A good indoor cycling setup should make you want to ride more often. The latest smart trainers and smart bikes are quieter, more accurate and more enjoyable to ride than ever before, making it simple to ride realistic routes, complete structured workouts and prepare for your next event without leaving home.

If you've ever reached the bottom of a climb and wondered how you're going to get to the top, you're not alone. Every cyclist has ridden a hill that felt harder than expected, whether it was a local climb or a famous mountain pass.

For many riders, Lanzarote is one of those places that stays in their legs long after the ride ends. The roads are rarely flat, the winds are relentless, and the volcanic landscape makes almost every route feel different from anywhere else. For Jesper, the island gradually became more than just a winter riding destination. After years of travelling there with his family, it also became the place where he started creating routes for ROUVY.

A power meter measures how much power you produce while riding, shown in watts. Unlike speed, which changes with wind, gradient and road surface, power tells you how much work your body is doing at that moment.

Cycling in Tuscany combines vineyard roads, Strade Bianche gravel sectors, hilltop towns and more climbing than you’d expect. You can ride through Chianti one day, head south to the white roads around Siena the next and finish the week on the longer climbs near Lucca.

Challenge Roth sits high up on the list of races long-distance triathletes talk about for years before they finally stand on the start line. The roads are lined six and seven deep in places, the Solarer Berg climb turns into a tunnel of noise and the finish stadium in Roth stays full long after dark. Even riders who have raced Kona, Nice or Hamburg still talk about Roth in a different tone.

Zone 2 training works best on roads where power stays steady for long stretches without constant braking, sharp climbs or repeated surges. These ROUVY routes were picked because they let you get into an aerobic rhythm and stay there, whether you are building base miles for a sportive, preparing for an IRONMAN or trying to make indoor endurance rides feel less repetitive.

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 and finale in Paris.