Rich@ Posted June 11, 2007 Posted June 11, 2007 Check out how our rides compare to one stage of the TDF
The Saint Posted June 11, 2007 Posted June 11, 2007 Any idea of the differances in gradient percentages? Madaleine might be higher than hilltops but hilltops may just be steeper.
linnega Posted June 12, 2007 Posted June 12, 2007 Hilltops is not particularly steep - max at around 8-9%, av around 6% if memory serves me right. With its length, Hilltops would be a cat 4 (or cat 3 if near the end of the stage) at the Tour. Boulders may qualify as a cat 2 climb if towards the back end of a stage. The Madeleines average gradient is close on 7% if I remember right, but you will have a few sections where there are 3-4 kms at close to 10% av. What you have to take into account with the Alpine climbs is the sheer length. A climb of around 2km (Hilltops) will never compare with 20km+ of climbing even if the average gradient was only 3%. For your average joe, the climb time would be clsoe to 2 hours on both the Galibier and Madeleine. I spent nearly 90 minutes of the Etape riding the Col d'Aubisque. That is a helluva long time to be climbing.
PokerFace Posted June 12, 2007 Posted June 12, 2007 The Argus is considered to be a fairly flat race. This just proves the point!
pastapouch Posted June 12, 2007 Posted June 12, 2007 Hell but Suikerbossie is a mamoth "climb"!!!? Suikerbossie is a hump in the road to the overseas riders
Guest Big H Posted June 12, 2007 Posted June 12, 2007 Some of the climbs in Europe has gradients of up to 16% in them. Most modern roads are graded to ensure proper sight distance, safety and ease of gradient for motorists. Most of the european passes were ancient routes used by early travellers to cross the mountains or military roads. Some later passes were built to reach holiday spots for wintersports. Still many of them are ancient and were not built or designed with motorists in mind. The were only incidentaly paved at a later stage. Many of these passes were stil gravel in the early years of the Tour de France.
nellie Posted June 12, 2007 Posted June 12, 2007 The Argus is considered to be a fairly flat race. This just proves the point! haha - that's what we tell all of you - and then the Gautengers go back sulking because we didn't tell them we have mountains
Lancealot Posted June 12, 2007 Posted June 12, 2007 You call the bumps in the Argus mountains? Its only speedbumps!!
Guest Big H Posted June 12, 2007 Posted June 12, 2007 Gaan ons alweer getreat word met 'n intieme gesprekkie.....mmmmmmmmm?????????
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