The Climbs
“I had one of the hardest moments ever on the Col du Glandon in 1977. I was at the end of my career, and what I had was gone by then.”
Eddy Merckx
Top 10 highest climbs
| Climb | Range | Highest point |
| Cime de la Bonette | Alps | 2802 m |
| Col de l’Iseran | Alps | 2770 m |
| Col Agnel | Alps | 2744 m |
| Col du Galibier | Alps | 2645 m |
| Col du Grand St-Bernard | Alps | 2473 m |
| Col du Granon | Alps | 2413 m |
| Col d’Izoard | Alps | 2360 m |
| Col de la Lombarde | Alps | 2351 m |
| Col de la Cayolle | Alps | 2326 m |
| Val-Thorens | Alps | 2275 m |
Many battles have been won and lost over the Tour’s mountain stages. Whether it is in the Alps, Pyrenees or the Massif Central, riders need grit, determintaion and extraordinary fitness to overcome the punishing ascents of these now famous climbs.