Classic Hors Categorie Climb deep in the French Alps.  It will be in  the Tour de France next week.
My cycling magazine describes the last two kilometers as the finale from hell. STEEP:

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Probably the most famous climb in the Juras.  There are four very steep ways up this monster.  To become a Confrérie des Fêlés du Grand Colombier (translated:  Brotherhood of Loons (freaks, crackpots) of Grand Colombier) one needs to climb all four in one day.   YIKES …. I am a decade past being able to do that [...]

Col des Glières is a climbs at the very start of the French Alps.  Starting from Le Plot, the first 10 kilometres average only about 2% so there is a chance to warm the legs up.
And it’s worth warming up as the next 7 kilometres average 9%.  Once the steep [...]

39.1kms
Doreen woke up a year older (24 now?) and motivated. At her insistence we headed out for a big day.

On perhaps our last climb of the year we cycled up Mont Revard. High above Lac Bourget (the biggest lake in France), Revard has often featured in the Tour de France. Starting [...]

71.5 kms

Today was the hardest ride of the year and probably my life. On a crisp beautiful autumn day, with the good fortune of having Doreen as my support car and photographer we drove the two hours from home and attacked the Grand Daddy of Tour de France climbs: the Col du [...]

One of the giant hors (outside) categorie climbs in the French Alps - hors categorie meaning it’s so difficult it was beyond the original rating system used in the Tour de France.
The route took 20 years to build and is one of only two roads (col d’iseran far to the east) that crosses [...]

52.7 kms
Flaine (France) is one of our two favourite ski stations and is only about 45 minutes away. Thus, I know the road very well. It had always seemed a bit intimidating driving the route especially right from the bottom, but since I knew it was easier than Mont du [...]

3d Satellite View of Today’s Ride - click to Enlarge.
MOM: We stayed in Aix-Les-Bains when you visited. The nice hotel with flowers etc. Where you had that huge fish stew with the crazy waiter.

44.9 km
Think of that really short steep stretch on your local ride that you hate because it’s just a bit too hard. Now imagine it’s 13 kms long.

I have had my eye on Mont du Chat for a couple of years. But partly due to fear, and [...]

48 kms
 
We climbed the legendary Col de la Colombière today. I am not sure why I have never climbed this hill - as it is only 45 minutes from home and features often in the Tour de France.
We climbed the harder north side. It is 17 kms with about 1,100 meters of [...]