Phew! That is steep...

[Eldron]

Eldron

 

Is there a time limit ? WHat sort of pace do they do ? Costs ?

 

It was ~2001 I did the Etap as part of a 10 day coach tour following the TdF. Total cost was about R10,000 I think.

 

Google "etap du tour" and you should get details - you can do just the race. I did it through Graham Baxtert Tours and it was fantastic.

 

They usually choose a climbing stage for the etap so it is never easy. There is a time limit but it's looong (I saw eveyone from racing snakes to granpapa types). Loads of the guys that didn't make the tour cut do the Etap so you get to mingle with the wannabes.

 

Closed roads, abundant feed zones, fans liniung the streets, sweeping descents - whats not to like??? The etap is normally a dew days before the real tour stage so you get to watch it afterwards with loads of insight - which climbs are harsh, where the danger areas are, how much faster the pros ride the stage etc.

 

Just do it.

 

I'd recommend it unreservdely to anyone even vaguely interested in le tour.

[Eldron]

Yes!!

 

Just outside Barberton, between the town and the Swaziland border........

the climb is called "Havelock"" only 6.8km long........Horst category all the way 1:7.5 gradient!! As steep as you will get a tarred road anywhere!! Lesotho might have some steeper concrete roads though...

 

It's also the Sunday Hillclimb for the Jock tour!!

 

The eastern transvaal is pretty similar. Maybe not in length but in gradient.

 

Ride the Panorama Tour - it could easily be south eastern fracne!

[Minion]

Ride the Panorama Tour - it could easily be south eastern fracne!

The other thing that makes a climb hard is the pace. At last year's Panorama my partner and I were in the bottom 20 teams in the field. I was quite a bit fitter than him and Spitskop on day 1 was quite easy (even with a 4bar rear tyre following a flat) since I could do it at my own pace.

This year, with a different partner, we finished day 1 in the top 50 teams. I would rate this year's Spitskop as the hardest climb I've ever done (harder even than Magoebaskloof). Even with my partner to push me I was at the limit the whole way just trying to hang on.

[Wyatt Earp]

We have had some pretty continuous and steep climbs in mountain bike events, I yet have to do a road race that will rival some of those climbs.

[Bos]

That etap du tour sounds amazing, I was just talking to mates last night tuning before we get married, lets do a 2-3 week bike trip in spain - Italy and France. Ride the TDF climbs and the DH in the skii resorts.

 

I wish we had 25km 6-10 deg climbs around Cape town.. Its te essence of Roadcycling for me (I know maybe not for you).. strangely on the Mtb I like the technical stuff and Downhills!

[Willehond]

I did the Etap du Tour some years ago from Aime to Cluses and rode Saisies, Colombierre, Aravis and one other I can't remember. It was one of the most awesome experiences of my life. I'd recommend it to anyone who gets butterflies watching stages in the south east of france!

 

Oddly enough they're not that steep - I rode most of them comfortable in a 39x23 - they're just loooong. For the stage the numbers of km to the top were indicated. When you start at the sign says 21km to the top - you know you're in for PAIN

OK, during the last four weeks I've gone up Ventoux, Alpe d'Huez and the Galibier and the one thing I can tell you is that they are steep. Constantly. In Cape Town I rode everywhere with my 39-23 or sometimes a 39-25 just for the extra luxury. That would be mindlessly stupid on Ventoux unless you want to proove a point, but I did it with a compact crank and a 11-28 cassette and STILL wanted more gears!!! The long relentless 8/9/10% climbs are murder on you cadance and knees.

 

My advice to anyone who comes and rides in Europe is get at least a compacyt crank with a 28 gear or preferably a tripple! Yes, it is that bad, but I love it!

[Nialls101]

Yes!!

 

Just outside Barberton, between the town and the Swaziland border........

the climb is called "Havelock"" only 6.8km long........Horst category all the way 1:7.5 gradient!! As steep as you will get a tarred road anywhere!! Lesotho might have some steeper concrete roads though...

 

It's also the Sunday Hillclimb for the Jock tour!!

I rode right up to the border post the day after Jock last year, the newly tarred road was amazing but I was broken after the climb. Would love to ride those climbs in France

 

Here's a photo taken close to the Swaziland border post.

[ccc2]

the Outeniqua Pass - from George to the summit is a quite a long climb. i rode it the day after the Knysna Race. it was also part of our ride back to CT on bikes. we had already ridden from Sedgefield , thru Wildernis to George on the old road so i wasn't looking forward to the climb.

other climbs in and around CT that would compare somewhat in length to the TdF would be Bains Kloof, du Toits Kloof and Franschoek Pass but the gradients are not nearly as severe as TdF.

Huisrivier Pass outside Calitzdorp and Garcia Pass outside Riversdale are also long but pleasant climbs.

[DROPZONE]

Long Tom Pass is quite.......long more than 20 km, but few dips in the middle, not sure about the avg gradient.

Swartbergpass is 16km long, avg gradient is around 6%.

 

rode mont ventoux last year . length about 25.7 km , average gradient 8 %

was a killer

and oh yes !! the wind was hooooowling !! almost blown off my bike a few times