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Cycling in France is arguably unsurpassed in terms of its scenery and the climbs are world class. It’s no wonder that the best cyclists in the world gather for a three week race in France every July. There’s nothing that compares to the smooth mountain ascents that should hold a place on every rider’s bike tour list. Here are a few of In Situ Travel’s favorites:

Le Mont Ventoux (1912 meters and 22 km. Average grade 7.1% with a maximum of 11% grade) Dominating the landscape in all directions, Ventoux has rightfully earned the nickname “The Giant”. There are three ways to ascend this beast (4 if you count the forest road) but the most famous route starts in the village of Bedoin where you will want to buy yourself a celebratory jersey after your valiant efforts. After all, not everyone has made it down alive. Just a half-mile from the summit, you will pass a memorial to the British pro-cyclist Tom Simpson who died racing a tour stage here in 1967.

Le Col du Tourmalet (2115 meters and 19 km. Average grade 7.4% with a maximum of 10.2% grade) When asked why the Tourmalet is so famous, many riders speak of its mystic prowess. You have not truly experienced the Pyrenees until you have climbed the range’s highest pass. It’s hard-core and there’s no wonder why this climb has been used more than any other as a Tour stage.

Le Col du Galibier (2645 meters and 34 km. Average grade 6.9% with a maximum of 10.1% grade) A Tour classic. This monumental mountain in the Alps is so well respected and feared, race organizers have actually visited its slopes twice within the same year’s Tour de France. Don’t be surprised to find yourself dwarfed by columns of snow if you summit the pass in early summer; this col is closed through winter and opens only when road officials decide to blast through the dense snow pack.

L’Alpe d’Huez (1860 meters and 14 km. Average grade 7.9% with a maximum of 14% grade) Immortalized by multiple Tour de France finishes, this cycling mecca in the Alps is famous for its grueling 21 switchbacks. The record ascent is 37 minutes and 35 seconds, but riders of all abilities come out in force each year to test themselves against this mammoth of a climb.

Col d’Aubisque (1709 meters and 16.6 km. Average grade 7.2% with a maximum of 13% grade) This col made its Tour de France debut in 1910 when race organizers were deemed crazy by Pyrenees locals when asked to have the roads cleared of debris in time for race day. Nonetheless, the Aubisque has become a Tour staple and is a favorite climb by riders the world over. Not for the fainthearted, the climb is famous for its sinuous roads that are gingerly carved to hug the mountainside and sport drops of hundreds of feet beyond the safety barriers.

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