Cyclist Classic climb: Col de la Loze, the Alpine climb that breaks Tour champions ‘I’m gone. I’m dead,’ crackles the team radio. Unzipped jersey flailing in the wind, his trademark tufts poking through his helmet, Tadej Pogačar couldn’t look more done if he tried. His 2023 Tour de France dream is over, and the culprit? Yesterday’s time-trial didn’t help, nor Jumbo-Visma turning the screws today. But it’s not the time gap or a metronomic Jonas Vingegaard that has floored the Slovenian, it’s this climb: the Col de la Loze. ‘A kilometre here just goes on and on forever,’ says commentator Sean Kelly as the moto camera takes an alarming tilt. Related Posts Classic climb: Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard, a gentle Alpine giant Big Ride: The untouched col in the French Alps HC climbs: Col de la Madeleine Joining forces Located between the ski resorts of Méribel and Courchevel in France’s Savoie department, the Col de la Loze is a beast, albeit a newly discovered one. Until a few years ago its roads terminated at these resorts – at 1,630m and 1,850m respectively – but in 2019 a new road opened, winding 7km on from Méribel and 6km from Courchevel and converging atop the col at 2,304m. The town hall in Saint-Bon-Tarentaise. Just round the back is good fountain for a bidon refill.Juan Trujillo Andrades / Cyclist In the grand scheme of France’s highest paved climbs, that puts the Col de la Loze 13th – hardly anything to write home about. Yet by another metric this is France’s hardest climb. Using the Fiets system*, the Col de la Loze (via Méribel) scores 13.8 Fiets, beating the Col de Portet (13 Fiets) and the mighty Ventoux (from Bédoin, 12.6 Fiets) into second and third. The reason isn’t elevation; rather this climb’s unrivalled toughness comes from its huge 1,700m elevation gain combined with its 22km length. However, here’s where it gets a bit tricky, and why before you pedal out of Brides-les-Bains you must answer the question: why are you here? Sculptures on the outskirts of Méribel Village tell you all you need to know – this way came Le Tour.Juan Trujillo Andrades / Cyclist If it’s to do the absolute hardest climb you can, leave town to the west then travel south via Les Allues and Méribel to the top. If it’s for something more sedate (a mere 11.1 Fiets) and some say more picturesque, head east and make your ascent via all four Courchevels – Le Praz, 1550, 1650 and 1850. The beginning of the cycle path, which starts at around 1,630m and finishes atop the col at just over 2,300m.Juan Trujillo Andrades / Cyclist But if you’re here for a mix of the scenic and the sinew-straining, there is a third way, the route that capped off Stage 17 at the Tour de France last year. So make a left at the crossroads for the D915, signed Courchevel, and get ready. Flags and jumps The first few kilometres are comparatively uninspiring. At little more than 600m above sea level the mountain views are pinched shut by the valley. The gradient, mind you, is already shaping up, hovering restlessly between 6% and 7%. One of the stinging switchbacks that takes you past the golf course and through the forest.Juan Trujillo Andrades / Cyclist Traffic is steady, the odd commuter off to Moûtiers or the barrelling engine of a rubbish truck making the rounds, but by the roundabout it has thinned out, and by the fourth hairpin things just feel right. The Tarentaise Valley unfurls slowly below, the air hangs Alpine-quiet. You haven’t needed to shift gears or change your position in ages. Everything is perfect progress. At Saint-Bon-Tarentaise, Le Tricolore flutters limply over the town hall’s doorway, the only movement in this tiny enclave. By contrast, when it comes, Courchevel Le Praz is a metropolis, larch hotels fronted by huge pictures of themselves covered in snow and their names written in a kind of inviting holidays cursive. Don’t be fooled by the average gradients here – this climb marker comes moments after an 18% incline.Juan Trujillo Andrades / Cyclist But don’t get distracted because ahead is a crucial turning. You’ll know it by the tall, silver, trumpet-looking thing on its end – a totem to the Winter Olympics – and the ski jump stadium behind. Be sure to bear right at the fork signed Méribel. You’re here for the full Pogačar. Village people The run through Méribel Village turns from flat to downhill, which is a bittersweet feeling on any climb as physical relief is overtaken by the mental frustration of lost metres. A hundred vertical ones burnt over 3km, in fact. But it’s OK, there’s one of those fun roundabouts with sculptures on it to commemorate the history of such parts. It’s usually cheesemakers or cows. This statue has a wheelbarrow full of flowers. Juan Trujillo Andrades / Cyclist Tightly packed hairpins see the gradient back where it belongs, nudging the teens to deliver you to the higher-up Méribel reserved for the well-heeled skier. French Alp quaintness reigns supreme, although you’d swear Méribel must have at least one large-scale building project at any given time given these towering cranes. But nothing can spoil the views to your right. Vast, sweeping, green; views of the kind you know are plastered all over the hotel lobby pamphlets. Then comes the rub: a roundabout, more expensive-looking hotels, another roundabout then a huge white arrow stencilled on the ground, pointing up the grassy piste and labelled Col de la Loze. Free as a bike By some miracle of civic planning, this new stretch of road has been designated car-free. It feels like the smoothest bike path in the world, and by the hairpin near the golf course you’ll be convinced it’s also the quietest. Eagle-eyed viewers will remember Jonas Vingegaard nearly hitting a commissaire’s car that got stuck on this stretch of road.Juan Trujillo Andrades / Cyclist By the time you reach the field of donging cows, you’re cursing this as the hardest effing thing you’ve ever ridden. Pog cracked somewhere around here and you’re beginning to know how that felt. However it isn’t the hardest thing – not yet anyway. You think you must surely be close to done but swinging back under the lifeless chairlifts and around the final hairpin comes the most disastrously long road of your life. It disappears to a point like an escalator to the clouds; somewhere among its rippling flanks lie stretches near 20%. Just in case you didn’t know where you were, how high, or what event put this climb on the map.Juan Trujillo Andrades / Cyclist Down and to your left are some truly spectacular views, though, so depending on your raison d’être and the remnants of your legs’ joie de vivre, now is a great place to stop. A final kilometre to go, a racetrack panorama of the road you’ve just climbed below. Whatever your disposition, the same fate awaits – a final 24% sucker-punch to the softest tissues. There is no smaller gear to find, no more saddle to get out of. It is just a patella-shortening grind. The effective finish line of the Col de la Loze, though keep on pedalling to the giant bike.Juan Trujillo Andrades / Cyclist Your reward is weird. It’s sort of cool, very Tour de France woz ’ere. A chalk effigy-type yellow jersey adorns the highest slope of the col, reachable only by foot; a huge bicycle of dubious proportions and perilous geometry sits at the highest point reachable by bike. Go get your photo taken by it, then sneak off down the road to get some more beautiful, less affected views, before enjoying the final spoil of this climb – that 6km road back to Courchevel 1850. It’s pristine, it’s all downhill and it belongs only to bicycles. The post Classic climb: Col de la Loze, the Alpine climb that breaks Tour champions appeared first on Cyclist.

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Cyclist Why Wales is one of the world’s best cycling destinations British cyclists are always dreaming of riding in far-away lands with sunshine and climbs, where days on the bike mix pleasure and pain, and where the scenic route is anywhere you turn, but that paradise is a lot closer to home. Wales has a never-ending number of savage climbs, sea views and is brimming with natural beauty. You’d be hard pressed to find a better place in the world to ride a bike, and the rides are nestled in villages and counties filled with culture, food and drink, and accommodation for whatever kind of trip you’re planning. This is why Wales should be on your bucket list. Cefn Sidan is an 8-mile stretch of sandy beach looking outward over Carmarthen Bay in South Wales, and hosts the annual Battle on the Beach, the UK’s biggest off-road bike race. Eryri (Snowdonia) Any discussion about mountains in Wales of course starts with Eryri (Snowdonia), home to Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), as well as 14 other mountains. That means it’s where you’ll find many of Wales’ toughest climbs – including the hairpins of Stwlan Dam, the UK’s steepest road Ffordd Pen Llech and Britain’s Mont Ventoux: Bwlch y Groes – as well as some stunning off-road routes. There’s never an easy ride, but Eryri is always beautiful, whether you’re in its south, north or somewhere in between. You can ride the Brailsford Way, named after Sir Dave Brailsford, who rode the routes growing up. It features climbs up Llanberis Pass and Pen-y-Pass and there’s plenty of descending to enjoy the views of the mountain. The route stretches to loop around Caernarfon Castle for an all-important spot of history to exercise the mind and body. More modern history lies in Dyffryn Nantlle, which was once the centre of the local slate industry and includes several steep ascents. The highest point on the Brailsford Way is the Crimea Pass, which unsurprisingly doesn’t constitute an easy ride. Primo views meet riders heading out from Betws-y-Coed, with the Eryri landscape opening up with lakes and great spots to see the Snowdon Horseshoe. On the west-side of Eryri, culture-lovers have to take a trip to Portmeirion, an incredible Italianate village that looks out over the estuary of the River Dwyryd. Portmeirion was created by renowned Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ellis, and is one of Wales’ most visited tourist attractions. For those wanting to tackle rougher surfaces, the Traws Eryri route cuts 200km through Eryri National Park on tracks and trails with endless climbs, descents and excellent places to stay along the way – you definitely don’t have to do it all at once. We’ve gathered some suggestions below to get you going. If you’re in the market for organised fun, the Tour de Môn sportive takes riders around the island of Anglesey, just northwest of Eryri. Find out more about exploring Eryri Places to stay Treks Bunkhouse If you’re looking for a place to bed down, the Treks Bunkhouse hostel in Llan Ffestiniog is located in a wonderful site with magnificent views toward the Llŷn Peninsula. It’s not far from the slate centre of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Coed y Brenin forest and mountain bike trail centre, Cader Idris mountain, Portmeirion village and the incredible Harlech Beach. Book your stay at Treks Bunkhouse Stables Lodge On the other side of Eryri is Stables Lodge, located in Betws-y-Coed, a popular gateway for all kinds of Eryri explorers. It has a range of room sizes to choose from, with a B&B option available with the Royal Oak pub next door for a delicious full Welsh breakfast. It has a bike wash to clean off after a big day out and warm lockers to dry your kit. Book your stay at Stables Lodge Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) While north Wales has Eryri, south Wales has Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons). Sitting just north of Swansea, Cardiff and Newport and stretching to the border with England, it technically consists of three mountain ranges, meaning an array of naturally beautiful peaks, valleys and climbs. Bannau Brycheiniog is so packed with amazing cycling routes that it’s practically impossible to pick them out. It does include, though, two sections of National Cycle Routes that link riders from Cardiff and Chepstow to the heart of the national park and its many many climbs. It’s home to some of Wales’s most notorious ascents, including the Devil’s Elbow and Devil’s Staircase (no prizes for guessing how hard those two are), as well as Gospel Pass, the Tumble and the Black Mountain, which hosted the summit finish of the Queen Stage of the 2022 Women’s Tour. And with that it hosts a chunk of Britain’s hardest sportive, the Dragon Ride. Of course there’s culture too, and readers will be familiar with the town on the north eastern tip of the park, Hay-on Wye. Why not combine reading and riding (just not at the same time)? Find out more about exploring Bannau Brycheiniog Places to stay The Granary If Hay-on-Wye does tickle your tastebuds, The Granary is a recently-converted barn that sits at the foot of the Black Mountains between Hay-on-Wye and Brecon, so the best of Bannau Brycheiniog is at its doorstep. It has two luxury en-suite rooms and a smaller twin room, as well as secure bike storage. Book your stay at The Granary Penstar Bunkhouse For a quick stop-over or an affordable option, Penstar is another old barn on a working farm with one bed and is available from just £11 per person per night. It’s situated in Libanus, right in the heart of Bannau Brycheiniog. Book your stay at Penstar Bunkhouse Carmarthenshire If you’re looking for somewhere to go in Wales that has everything, Carmarthenshire is the place to go. Carmarthenshire has culture and scenery aplenty, including a coastline that stretches past Llanelli, Carmarthen Bay and Pembrey, which is home to the popular Battle on the Beach off-road race. A day or two spent on the Wales Coast Path cycling route is essential. In the east it begins in Bannau Brycheiniog, so immediately the whole national park is on your doorstep. In the southeast it’s just north of Swansea and the Gower peninsula and in the west it borders with Pembrokeshire with its own coastal national park. it’s also positioned geographically so that Eryri National Park isn’t out of reach for a day trip, and sat between Carmarthenshire and Eryri is Mynyddoedd Cambria (the Cambrian mountains), a great place to ride itself. Check out Carmarthenshire’s epic road cycling routes Places to stay Abermarlais Caravan and Camping Park For bikepackers or just those that want to camp, you can’t go wrong with settling down in the adults-only Abermarlais park on the edge of Bannau Brycheiniog in Llangadog. Perfectly located for maximum adventure possibilities, there are 88 pitches available from £26 per night. Book your stay at Abermarlais Caravan and Camping Park Waun Wyllt Waun Wyllt is a popular country inn not far outside of Llanelli, southwest of Bannau Brycheniog and within touching distance of Pembrey. The real seller though is that it won Camra Pub of the Year for Carmarthenshire. Need we say more? Book your stay at Waun Wyllt Wales’ best climbs As nice as not suffering is, if cyclists are going on holiday they invariably want to climb, and thankfully Wales has more classic climbs than we’ve got time to mention. Here are some of our favourites: The climb to Stwlan Dam features the kind of tight switchbacks you’d normally expect to find in the Alps, and averages a punishing 9.7% overall gradient. Stwlan Dam A European climb hidden away in Eryri, it’s a road up to a reservoir from Tanygrisiau and features 3.3km of gruelling gradients, terrific tarmac and heavenly hairpins. Devil’s Staircase An aptly named ascent in the Cambrian Mountains, the Staircase is a series of hairpin bends that technically form just one part of the Abergwesyn Pass, but you’d be forgiven for having a rest either side and calling it multiple climbs. Devil’s Elbow Not to be confused with the Devil’s Staircase, the Devil’s Elbow is in Bannau Brycheiniog and is only just shy of 2km long but has hairpins, views and is a true test. Horseshoe Pass The Horseshoe Pass is in north Wales, in Llangollen, near Wrexham, and spans 8km with an average 4% slope and scenery that you can enjoy on the way back down. Its neighbour, the Old Shoe, is a recent host of the National Hill Climb Championships and is worth adding in to the same ride with its shorter distance but harsher gradient. Ffordd Pen Llech Talking of harsh gradients, Fford Pen Llech in Eryri is the UK’s steepest road and has been in a battle with a road in New Zealand for the title of the world’s steepest thanks to pitches of up to nearly 40% in gradient. We’ll leave this one to you. Black Mountain A slow and steady climb, Black Mountain in Bannau Brycheiniog is 6km at an average of 5.7%, which it doesn’t stray far from throughout. Bwlch y Groes The second highest public road in Wales, Bwlch y Groes is brutal. 3.5km long at and average of 11.3% and an utterly savage 25% in parts, hopefully the views on the way back down makes it worth it. It’s also known as Hellfire Pass and Britain’s Mont Ventoux if you needed its difficulty sold any more. Gospel Pass Gospel Pass is Wales’ highest road and is situated in Bannau Brycheiniog near Hay-on-Wye. Its toughest side is 8.5km long with a tough middle section that pitches up to 16%. Say your prayers. Sportives and cycling events in Wales Descending the 3.5km Bwlch, with its 11.3% average gradient, as an exhilarating experience on two wheels. Of course you don’t have to plan rides in Wales all by yourself, you can get stuck into some of the sportives and events put on for your enjoyment (if you can call it that). These are some of the classics. The Dragon Ride Not for the faint-hearted, the Dragon Ride is one of the UK’s oldest sportives and takes in the hardest climbs in south Wales through the scenic landscape of Bannau Brycheiniog. It has routes ranging from 98km to a horrid 298km, which is just rude, but takes in, among others, Black Mountain, the Devil’s Staircase, the Devil’s Elbow and the Bwlch, to account for 4,614m of elevation. This year it takes place on 23rd June. Battle on the Beach The UK’s biggest off-road bike race, Battle on the Beach takes place on 6th April 2024 and sees riders power down Cefn Sidan Beach and back to the start in Pembrey Country Park next to the Wales Coast Path in Carmarthenshire. Lung-busting, leg-burning and totally unique. But not easy. Ride the stunning Wales Coast Path Tour de Môn On the other side of the country is the Tour de Môn, a sportive held on 18th August 2024 that takes riders around the island of Anglesey in northwest Wales. Distances range from just over 5km to 190km, so it’s family-friendly, well-supported and scenic. For more information and inspiration head to visitwales.com That got you excited? Win a stay in Carmarthenshire plus extra goodies from Restrap with Visit Wales and Cyclist. Related Posts Cyclist Magazine Podcast episode 100: Shane Williams, Welsh rugby legend turned cyclist and AGILIS founder Visit Wales: Geraint Thomas home road rides UK Ride: Snowdonia – it’s always the quiet ones… UK Ride: Breaking the Brecons in Wales One ride, 8,848m climbed: Everest the highest peak in Wales The post Why Wales is one of the world’s best cycling destinations appeared first on Cyclist.

Mathieu van der Poel has proven himself to be a man in form and at the E3 Saxo Classic perhaps consolidated himself as the main favourite for the Tour of Flanders. However, in the right circumstances, he can be put under pressure or dropped as was the case at Gent - Wevelgem, and Thijs Zonneveld dis...