Few European ski resorts attract summer crowds like Alpe dHuez, where cyclists are drawn like bees to a honeypot thanks to the climbs sweeping switchbacks and place in Tour de France legend.Despite first appearing at the Tour in the 1950s, it wasnt until 1976 that the peloton returned. Since then, it has become one of the most iconic climbs of the race.Here are the numbers behind Alpe dHuez and the Tour de France.2The 2026 Tour de France will visit Alpe dHuez twice. First, the peloton will ride up its 21 hairpins on stage 19, before ascending Alpe dHuez the next day from the other side for the first time in the Tour de Frances history.7The seventh bend is known as Dutch Corner, where orange-clad, beer-fuelled supporters cheer the peloton on. Fans from the Netherlands have populated the bend since Dutchmen won eight of the first 14 victories on Alpe dHuez, with Joop Zoetemelk first in 1976.20When the climb was last featured at the Tour in 2022, Britains Tom Pidcock won the stage.But it was Sepp Kuss who took the Strava KOM that day with an average speed of 20kph.21Part of Alpe dHuezs difficulty lies in its 21 hairpins. But this also adds to the climbs beauty, at least for viewers watching from home.29Although Kuss set a new Strava KOM in 2022, the record for the climb has stood for 29 years. In 1997, Marco Pantani set a time of 37 minutes and 35 seconds.There is some discrepancy between Pantanis record and modern attempts. Back then, the full climb was measured at 14.5km, whereas today it measures 13.8km. Still, that is a faster speed than Kuss ascent four years ago.13.8With an average gradient of 8.1% and the summit at 1,850m, the 13.8km-long climb is one of the toughest ascents to feature in the Tour.1952Alpe dHuez first appeared in the Tour de France in 1952 on stage 10, which was won by Fausto Coppi, who went on to claim the general classification. More from the Tour de France Why is there so much fuss about Alpe dHuez at the Tour de France? The 10-year-old bike still being used at the Tour de France An incredibly low heart rate and an unbelievable engine: the physiology of a Tour de France cyclist in numbers Tadej Pogaar's new lactate super fuel is a "breakthrough" in sports nutrition, but should you believe the hype?