{"id":15941,"date":"2022-05-02T12:45:02","date_gmt":"2022-05-02T12:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/?p=15941"},"modified":"2023-07-06T10:25:40","modified_gmt":"2023-07-06T10:25:40","slug":"europes-best-road-cycling-climbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/europes-best-road-cycling-climbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Feel the burn: Europe\u2019s best road-cycling climbs"},"content":{"rendered":"Approx read: <\/span> 3<\/span> mins<\/span><\/span>

If you\u2019re itching to don some lycra, grease up that chain and put your calves through hell, we\u2019ve got just the guide for you.<\/h2>\n

Europe is full of mountains and that means road-cycling climbs that\u2019ll test your legs and lungs through some of the most gorgeous landscape the continent has to offer.<\/h3>\n

Passo Stelvio, Italy<\/h4>\n

Distance: 24 kilometres<\/p>\n

Elevation gain: 1,817 metres<\/p>\n

Almost 50 hairpin bends are awaiting you on this lung-bursting slog up the Stelvio mountain pass with the last five kilometres sitting at a breath-taking altitude of more than 2,000 metres above sea level. Obviously, this is a climb best undertaken during summer (unless you\u2019re a fan of ice cycling) and with plenty of practice under your belt.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Mont Ventoux, France<\/h4>\n

Distance: 13.8 kilometres<\/p>\n

Elevation gain: 1,580 metres<\/p>\n

One of the toughest climbs on the Tour de France, the classic route up Mont Ventoux (or \u2018The Giant of Provence\u2019) starts in B\u00e9doin with olive groves and vineyards providing the backdrop before things get serious. As you ascend further, the landscape will shift to forested hairpins before you begin to reach the peak and the high-altitude desolate landscape that perhaps defines this mammoth climb.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hardknott Pass, United Kingdom<\/h4>\n

Distance: 2.3km<\/p>\n

Elevation gain: 299 metres<\/p>\n

OK, it may only be a minnow compared to some of the beasts on this list, but without the Alps or the Dolomites to fall back on, England\u2019s rugged Cumbrian countryside offers plenty of fun closer to home. And let\u2019s be clear, this is no walk in the park. With switchbacks reaching a 33% gradient at some points you\u2019ll be hunched over the handlebars and regretting ever scoffing at its diminutive length.<\/p>\n

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Mount Teide, Tenerife, Spain<\/h4>\n

Distance: 45 kilometres<\/p>\n

Elevation gain: 2,400 metres<\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s highest peak (and an active volcano, at that), Mount Teide, shouldn\u2019t be underestimated. Starting at Puerto de la Cruz, you\u2019ll be treated to a tree-lined route with stunning views, but as you progress up the mountain\u2019s 3,718 metres, a barren, lunar-like landscape will take over until you reach the sanctuary of the Teide cable car station.<\/p>\n

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Col de Braus, France<\/h4>\n

Distance: 10 kilometres<\/p>\n

Elevation gain: 662 metres<\/p>\n

The classic route of the Col de Braus, beginning in L\u2019Escarene, has the kind of stacked hairpin turns that\u2019ll be all-too keen to remind you of how far you\u2019ve come \u2013 and how far you\u2019ve got to go. But this accessible climb, an hour outside of Nice, is worth the effort as you ascend past cliff faces and are treated to sea views from a distance.<\/p>\n

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Passo Giau, Italy<\/h4>\n

Distance: 10.4 kilometres<\/p>\n

Elevation gain: 906 metres<\/p>\n

An initial mild incline will almost certainly lull you into a false sense of security as you set off from the base of this gorgeous climb through the Italian Dolomites, but things are going to get tougher. Fortunately, if it\u2019s distractions from the pain you need, you\u2019ll find them in the staggeringly beautiful landscape that boasts dramatic peaks, pine trees and the Codalonga river that follows the route as you begin your ascent.\"\"<\/a><\/h4>\n

Swimming Wild \u2013 Discovering UK waterways, lakes and rivers<\/span><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Europe is full of mountains and road-cycling climbs that\u2019ll test your legs through some of the most gorgeous landscapes the continent has to offer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":15950,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1569,298],"tags":[1503],"class_list":["post-15941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-tourism","category-travel-tips","tag-cycling"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15941"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15941\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18794,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15941\/revisions\/18794"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}