There’s no shortage of beautiful mountains to climb by bike in Europe, but only a few that are elevated to global renown by famous races like Le Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and La Vuelta de España. From Italy’s Stelvio Pass with it’s dizzying hairpins to Majorca’s fearsome Sa Calobra or the French ‘giant of Provence’, Mont Ventoux, these are the climbs that get under the skin and into the heart.
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Photographer Michael Blann has spent three years documenting the relationship between the sport of road cycling and the mountain climbs which feature in the grand tours — and a few that do not — and has now brought together the highlights for a new hardback book.
“Most of the cycling photography I had witnessed tended to focus on the action, shot from a motorbike at the roadside. As a photographer I have always had a tendency to shoot from afar,” Blann said. “This detachment brings quietness to the event and encourages deep introspection, which in turn is reflected in the final image.”
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The book Mountains: Epic Cycling Climbs also includes essays by famous former and current pro cyclists, like Romain Bardet, Greg LeMond, Geraint Thomas and Lizzie Armitstead. The book is on sale now from http://ift.tt/2deEk1E for £34.95 (about $45).
1. Alpe d’Huez, France (1,860m)
Arguably the most iconic climb in the Tour de France, Alpe d’Huez has seen many epic battles over the years. It has also seen many epic parties over the years as massive crowds flock to its 21 switchbacks. The climb is 13.8km long, with an average graident of 8.1%.
2. Col du Galibier, France (2,646m)
3. Grimsel Pass, Switzerland (2,165m)
4. Puig Major, Majorca (854m)
5. Mount Teide, Tenerife (2,300m)
6. Passo Valparola, Italy (2,168m)
7. Sa Calobra, Majorca (782m)
8. Passo Stelvio, Italy (2,757m)
9. Mont Ventoux, France (1,912m)
10. Grossglockner, Austria (3,798m)
11. Lacets de Montvernier, France (781m)
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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