l’Alpe d’Huez

In honor of Wednesday’s monstrous alpine stage (which should be the best bike race of the year), here are some resources culled from the net about the final climb, the classic Alpe d’Huez.

1. First off, check out the profile for Wednesday:

   

   That hurts.

2. Average gradient 7.9%, 13 kilometres long, 21 hairpins, elevation 1860 metres: This is L’Alpe d’Huez.

   Situated on the border of the French Alps near the town of Bourg d’Oisans, roughly an hour’s drive from Grenoble, Alpe d’Huez is the most feared climb in the Tour de France for its abrupt, brutal ascent into the clouds. No other climb has a greater history of suffering, nor exudes the same emotions. It is what the Motirolo is to the Giro d’Italia, or the Angliru to the Vuelta – but with the charm, history and mystique of the Tour de France behind it.

   The above is from a great article from the 2003 Tour published by Cycling News.

3. How about a 360 degree webcam from the top provided by the official site?
4. Now, check out this incredible story of Greg Lemond and Bernard Hinault’s trip up Alpe d’Huez in 1986.

   1986: The Alpe’s Greatest Duel

5. Once you’ve digested that, check out some vintage video of that fateful day:

7. And now Lance Armstrong:

   From the time trial in 2004
   
   photo courtesy flickr user eugene

   And from 2001’s classic victory, we have “the look”:

And finally, from 2003 the full flight of madness that is an Alpine stage of the Tour

photo courtesy flickr user matt knoth