Alpe d'Huez

There are many iconic roads in cycling: temples where epic battles have been fought, and where thousands – if not millions – of people pay homage to their ...

If you're targeting your best time up the Alpe (or you want to get to the top), the most important thing is to start hard but not too hard, or you'll blow up. Finally, for professionals, the climb is hardly presented as a standalone mountain time trial (the last time was in 2004). This year, for example, they get here with 3,500 metres of climbing – plus a dozen stages – in the legs. But no matter your cycling level, the greatest thing about Alpe d'Huez is that the climb will always be the same for everyone riding it. And if you can ride it in an hour or less, that's a fantastic time (36 minutes 50 seconds is the dubious record set by Marco Pantani in 1995). As mentioned, the Alpe is not super long, but it's long enough to put you on the ropes. That's why, if you want to set a PB, or win a Tour stage, pacing the Alpe is crucial. For example, if the temperatures are hot like they are in July when the Tour climbs here, the climb feels much more demanding even if you pace well. From the bottom to the top (at least where the Tour finishes), the road is 13.2 km long, with 1,142 metres of vertical elevation and 21 numbered switchbacks. Even if you don't know anything about the gradients and you try to approach without prior prejudice, the physical presence of Alpe d'Huez is intimidating. Here (by the village of La Garde-en-Oisans), people decide to either slow down, keep the tempo constant or even increase the pace. Sure, there are some pauses here and there: the switchbacks, for instance, or a section after the fifth bend and the last km. One that adds an extra layer of trepidation and admiration to the Alpe d'Huez.

The Tour de France returns to Alpe d'Huez for a terrifying day in the mountains. Stage 12 brings not one but three famous ascents for the riders to tackle ...

Access includes 2022 Tour de France coverage, plus thousands of movies and boxsets from the NBC universe. TV license holders can watch or stream ITV4 (opens in new tab) for free. Viewers can watch Stage 12 Briançon to Alpe d'Huez for free on ITV4. Here's how to watch a free Stage 12 live stream from the 2022 Tour de France wherever you are. Prefer to watch without the ads? As a rule, we suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN (opens in new tab) which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. 2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. Even if you have subscribed to the relevant 2022 Tour de France rights holders, you won't be able to access them when outside your own country. You can use it to watch on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console and more. The Tour de France returns to Alpe d'Huez for a terrifying day in the mountains. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. Make sure you know how to get a free Stage 12 live stream from wherever you are in the world and watch the 2022 Tour de France. While the Stage 12 profile looks one for a mountain specialist, for sure, expect Pogačar's UAE Team and Vinnegard's Team Jumbo–Visma to pile the pressure on the peleton to see who they can drop from the GC contest.

The peloton will head up Alpe d'Huez on Stage 12 in what will surely be another big day for GC riders.

This one could go the distance, but that may depend on whether other GC riders try to challenge Vingegaard early. French win on Bastille Day? Romain Bardet might like a word, and a stage win, and the yellow jersey. And of course, it's trite to say the French want a win on Bastille Day, but it’s also kinda true. From the start in Briançon, the peloton will roll past the turn to the Col du Granon climb that saw the race explode on Wednesday, and then ride back over the Col du Galibier from the way they came down yesterday. The descent is interrupted by the short (uncategorized, from this direction) bump over the Col du Telegraphe, and a fast, twisty drop to the valley before the Col d la Croix de Fer. Vingegaard has a two-minute lead on his nearest challenger, DSM’s Romain Bardet, so the team also has the luxury of being able to race defensively (at least for a day to let Vingegaard recover a touch from going so deep on Wednesday). The situation suits their broad team depth very well.

Tours de France are won in the third week, writes Jack Houghton, and Thomas's quiet presence might be auspicious.

Thibaut Pinot (6.411/2) is prominent in the market. After blowing up the Tour on Stage 11, pre-race tip Jonas Vingegaard (4.47/2) is the obvious favourite to take another decisive win here. This is an equally difficult test, but is differently so, and different levels of cumulative fatigue may bring different results.

It's a very tough climb.” Robbie McEwen made it clear that he expected a tough day at the office for the remaining Tour de France cyclists at Stage 12.

An inclinometer feature will be introduced, a 3D representation bringing to life the gradients faced by the peloton. The energisation you receive off the crowd… "Alpe D’Huez chops and changes, you’ve got the hairpin bends.

Alpe d'Huez on Bastille Day - it doesn't get much more Tour de France than this. Pogačar to take the stage?

Geraint Thomas was the victor the last time the Tour went up this mythical climb, clad in the yellow jersey after taking the stage win the day before, and the Welshman is very close to the podium after rolling the clock back on stage 11. Perhaps with added Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) for a Bastille Day rampage. It’s an almost exact replica of the same route from 1986, when Bernard Hinault was the winner on the day after his famous duel with Greg LeMond.

The pre-race narrative: Bastille Day always brings out attacks from French riders seeking immortality. Also, Warren Barguil could struggle after attacking on ...

Kuss to finish ahead of Roglic (+110): Roglic came in more than 11 minutes behind the winner on Wednesday and doesn’t seem to have his legs after a nasty Stage 5 crash. Latour to finish ahead of Barguil (+175): This is a matchup between two more Frenchmen, although both are dark horses for a win. Valentin Madouas (+4,000) - Not as well known as the other names on this list, but a rider to watch. Quietly ranks 14th in the GC. David Gaudu (+5,000) - Finished fifth on Stage 11, and sits seventh in the GC. Has two Grand Tour stage wins on his resume from the Vuelta a Espana. On the ascent at age 25. If you bet on the French, here’s a rundown of the top threats you get under that umbrella (with their individual odds to win the stage):

Three hors categorie climbs on the menu, culminating in a crowd-packed Tour favorite. Will Vingegaard add to his lead, can Pogačar hit back, or might Bardet ...

France is in the middle of a heatwave. There is an Irish Corner, Norwegian Corner, and the famous Dutch corner, a sea of orange, beer, music, and noise. The fight to get in the day’s breakaway will be fierce. On the French national holiday of Bastille Day, expect home riders to be especially hungry and aggressive. It will further space out the GC and settle the race’s hierarchy. Upon cancellation, you will have access to your membership through the end of your paid year.

The 2022 Tour will be the 30th to take on cycling's most iconic climb of 21 famous switchback turns, where a new chapter in its history will be written.

As the stage’s 1977 and 1978 winner Hennie Kuiper recalled: “I can remember looking ahead and willing for patches of shade to come.” “I’ve been there just for the recon, and it’s really such an iconic climb,” Pogacar told The Independent recently. The road tilts up again after Huez village, before a short run to the finish. Vincenzo Nibali was wiped out of the 2018 Tour by a fan’s stray camera strap, almost 20 years after another camera-wielding spectator knocked runaway leader Giuseppe Guerini off his bike – he was able to remount and claim his prize. It was the defining moment of his 2018 Tour de France victory, and winning atop Alpe d’Huez remains one of road cycling’s greatest feats (Thomas is unique in doing so while wearing the maillot jaune). A few months after winning on a raucous Alpe d’Huez wearing the yellow jersey, Geraint Thomas snuck back to the place of his greatest triumph to check if it had really happened.

Stage 12 of the Tour is a punishing course that will take the field over the Col du Galibier for the second consecutive day and end on the summit of t...

Kuss to finish ahead of Roglic (+110): Roglic came in more than 11 minutes behind the winner on Wednesday and doesn’t seem to have his legs after a nasty Stage 5 crash. Latour to finish ahead of Barguil (+175): This is a matchup between two more Frenchmen, although both are dark horses for a win. Valentin Madouas (+4,000) - Not as well known as the other names on this list, but a rider to watch. Quietly ranks 14th in the GC. David Gaudu (+5,000) - Finished fifth on Stage 11, and sits seventh in the GC. Has two Grand Tour stage wins on his resume from the Vuelta a Espana. On the ascent at age 25. If you bet on the French, here’s a rundown of the top threats you get under that umbrella (with their individual odds to win the stage):

French legend says "mystical" climb is "in the head, not only in the legs"

"If you are a French rider and you are more motivated on Bastille Day, the thing is that you're not motivated enough on the other days," Voeckler said. It's in the head, not only in the legs. "It depends the place you are in the race," Voeckler said, when asked to explain the atmosphere. If he doesn't come back tomorrow, he will have lost the Tour. Not that if he doesn't take the jersey, but if he is not good." The parcours is an exact replica of the one raced in 1986 on the famous day when Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault crossed the line together. "For me, it's not a difficult climb, it's a symbolic climb," Voeckler said.

The Tour de France returns to Alpe d'Huez for a terrifying day in the mountains. Stage 12 brings not one but three famous ascents for the riders to tackle ...

Access includes 2022 Tour de France coverage, plus thousands of movies and boxsets from the NBC universe. TV license holders can watch or stream ITV4 (opens in new tab) for free. Viewers can watch Stage 12 Briançon to Alpe d'Huez for free on ITV4. Here's how to watch a free Stage 12 live stream from the 2022 Tour de France wherever you are. Prefer to watch without the ads? As a rule, we suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN (opens in new tab) which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. 2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. Even if you have subscribed to the relevant 2022 Tour de France rights holders, you won't be able to access them when outside your own country. You can use it to watch on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console and more. The Tour de France returns to Alpe d'Huez for a terrifying day in the mountains. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. Make sure you know how to get a free Stage 12 live stream from wherever you are in the world and watch the 2022 Tour de France. While the Stage 12 profile looks one for a mountain specialist, for sure, expect Pogačar's UAE Team and Vinnegard's Team Jumbo–Visma to pile the pressure on the peleton to see who they can drop from the GC contest.

And welcome to our live rolling blog from stage 12 of the 109th Tour de France, the 165.

First contested in 1952 when the great and late Fausto Coppi prevailed atop Alpe d'Huez, the switchback-tastic drag up to the ski station provides the canvas on which the riders are free to express themselves, but will today be yet another masterpiece? It is a classic route, one not too dissimilar to the stage in 1986 where Bernard Hinault prevailed the day after losing his yellow jersey to La Vie Claire team-mate Greg LeMond on the Granon. But for Jonas Vingegaard to do what he did, the Dane needed the plan, the team-mates and the nerve to take it to Pogacar. It was a stage for the ages, and while Vingegaard was the big winner, others did brilliantly too: Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic), Romain Bardet (DSM) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) all impressed.

After fireworks in the Alps on stage 11, the riders do battle again on another potential epic. Join John Brewin.

I think the harder it is, the bigger the gaps will be at the end, and I think that was in my advantage.” The last winner here was Geraint Thomas in 2018, when he ended up winning the whole Tour. So, four long years since the race visited l’Alpe, and Thomas, in fine form this year, may be in with a chance of being a double winner. I didn’t know if he was suffering, but they told me on the radio that it was steeper at five kilometres to go, and I was thinking: ‘Either they make it hard, or I try to attack.’ So that’s what I did.” That year’s winner, Geraint Thomas, looks to be back to his best form; today, the chances are the victor will come from an early break, and given it’s Bastille Day all France will be rooting for Pinot or Romain Bardet. The same climb once cracked Bernard Hinault, after all, though that was at the end of his career, with five Tours already in the bag, rather than the two Pogacar has collected. Is not possible in the world of cycling, but is true! What did Bernard Hinault do the next day after he lost the yellow jersey to Greg Lemond in 1986? Millions in Colombia and around the world see the birth of a new champion from Colombia, South America. We’re happy! And makes instant headway, the American. Those in the peloton won’t be thanking him for these early efforts. 145km to go: Up the Galibier they continue, where they spent much of Wednesday climbing up. It was a perfect tactical day for Jumbo and a dismal one for an already depleted UAE. As for Pog, you have to think others will feel they can attack him now. Anthony Perez, of Cofidis, a Frenchman, goes off at the front of the break.

Vingegaard has a two-minute lead on his nearest challenger, DSM's Romain Bardet, so the team also has the luxury of being able to race defensively (at least for ...

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Get the latest Cycling updates on Eurosport. Catch Briançon - Alpe d'Huez live on 14/07/2022. Find scores, stats and comments in real time.

We're now onto the Col du Galibier proper after the riders have come to the top of the Lautaret after the gradual grind up from Briancon. The ascent will take on a different dynamic now with narrower roads, hairpin bends, steeper gradients and some spectacular views on the way up to the summit at 2,642m. And isn't that a sight to behold - the four-time Tour champion spinning a high gear with his elbows out, starring invariably at the stem and up the road as he accelerates clear of the peloton in pursuit of the unknown. That large group which briefly formed around the polka dot jersey Simon Geschke has been brought to heel with Jumbo-Visma increasing the tempo on the front of the pack with their man in green, Van Aert, right on the nose. Many riders would have given up after such a terrible injury and being reduced to a bit-part rider after being the best in the business - it's a measure of Froome's professionalism, passion and love of his sport that the 36-year-old is keeping going. The breakaway has just gone through Valloire and are now onto the short ascent of the Telegraph ahead of the next phase of this long downhill to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne. Froome and Pidcock are still riding in a British tandem around 40 seconds down on the leaders. They're just 1'10" down on the four leaders - Perez, Mientjes, Powless and Ciccone - with three others somewhere in between: Oliveira, Goossens and Schonberger. The peloton is another minute back, so Pidcock has managed to put in an entire minute already on the yellow/green/white/polka dot jersey group. The British debutant came home 9'55" down yesterday to drop out of the top 10. The Frenchman pockets 20pts as he goes over the top with a 20-second gap on his pursuers. Tom Pidcock sat up to lighten the load, so to speak, on the side of the road as the seven chasers drew near to him and his American colleague after the descent. Froome is twice a winner on Bastille Day - in 2013 and 2015 - and he's twice finished a stage in Alpe d'Huez in yellow, but has never won there before. He zipped clear in pursuit of the American, who then struggled to keep up with the youngster when he surged past. Pidcock must save around 100watts on every corner compared to his elder companion - but no matter, they're both now in the day's break.

Greg LeMond once famously said: “It never gets easier, you just go faster”. I am sure the three-time Tour de France winner is absolutely correct, ...

2-52-54. That means I spent 1 hour, 11 minutes and 29 seconds standing by the side of the road, half-hoping for some rockfall to smash me into a bajillion pieces so I didn’t have to ride my bike anymore. I took my phone out of my back pocket again to hit the stop button on Strava (by now it will come as no surprise that I ride without a head unit). Along the way, regardless of how terrible a time I was having, I took photos of the valley below and mountain scenery. I tried to check my Strava entry when writing this to see how often I stopped for a break but the data is not there. Soon, a German cycle tourist came past and said: “You’ve just go to pace yourself,” which is objectively good advice to someone who clearly had no idea what they were doing, but in the moment I would have liked it if he could pace himself right out of my presence. That mental image lasted for all of 100m before I came juddering to a halt. Therefore, by driving to the top, parking my vehicle there before descending down, I would give myself no choice but to scale Alpe d’Huez. I set off, my cadence increasing, clicking down a couple of gears as my speed increased. I drove up each hairpin, taking in the numbered signs decked out with names of famous riders. With movement over borders trickier than usual, it was best to stay in France. After some thought, I decided my destination would have to be Alpe d’Huez. With WorldTour racing resumed in August I headed out from the UK to mainland Europe in a converted camper van to cover the resumption of the calendar from Strade Bianche on August 1 through to the September Tour de France. Simply given the fact that two years ago I rode up Alpe d’Huez at an average speed of 8.2km/h.

-Stage 12 is 165km long and climbs the Galibier and the Col de la Croix de Fer. -The stage finishes atop at L'Alpe d'Huez. -Jonas Vingegaard wears the race ...

The Galibier, Croix de Fer and Alpe d'Huez are on the menu! Tadej Pogacar eventually arrives and quickly heads to the start line. That's a big ask but the Col du Galibier will start soon. The riders are in the valley and riding into a headwind. I think I’m ready to fight," he said, firing a warning shot to his rivals. The descend from 2642m to just 536m. The peloton at 1:30. Anything could still happen yet. They will quickly descent towards L'Alpe d'Huez for the finish. Fabio Jakobsen is second with 155 points. I feel good, had a good night’s sleep, saw (my partner) Urska and she gave me a lot energy. Froome catches Pidcock as the road eases. So many riders want a slice of the action today.

Former Tour winner predicts fireworks on return to iconic climb where he won in 2018.

“I think that Jumbo-Visma might take a real controlled take on the stage and then on Alpe d’Huez it will be crazy again. It definitely turned out to be that way but I’m happy to still be up there and in the mix,” Thomas said at the start of stage 12. Thomas put in a dogged display and remains fourth overall, just over two minutes of the race lead.

Britain's Tom Pidcock won the 12th stage of the Tour de France, a 165.1-km Alpine trek between Briancon and L'Alpe d'Huez on Thursday.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com So, box ticked, I guess." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Pidcock's first ever WorldTour win was a spectacular one as he rode clear of Louis Meintjes and a rejuvenated Chris Froome – enjoying his best day on a bike ...

After Pidcock picked up the pace, he was gradually distanced but will still be hugely encouraged by his eventual podium finish. Pidcock took the win by 40 seconds from Meintjes, with Froome crossing the line just over two minutes down. Pidcock’s first ever WorldTour win was a spectacular one as he rode clear of Louis Meintjes and a rejuvenated Chris Froome – enjoying his best day on a bike since his horror crash in 2019 – on roads packed with rowdy spectators before celebrating at the top of one of cycling’s most famous mountains.

Tom Pidcock became the youngest man to win a Tour de France stage on Alpe d'Huez when he raced away from a group of breakaway riders to cross the line solo ...

After spending the day harassing the two-time champion with relentless attacks, Vingegaard finally dropped his Slovenian rival in the last climb of Stage 11. Pidcok beat the record of Colombia’s Lucho Herrera, who was 23 when he won on Alpe d’Huez in 1984. Thursday’s battle between the main contenders was less spectacular. The Jumbo-Visma team leader was in a group including defending champion Tadej Pogacar and 2018 Tour winner Geraint Thomas. The daunting 165-kilometer (102.5-mile) Stage 12 from Briancon featured three tough climbs so difficult that they are classified as “beyond category” — the Col du Galibier, the Col de La Croix de Fer and the climb to Alpe d’Huez. You can’t experience that anywhere else other than the Alpe d’Huez in the Tour de France.”

Brit Tom Pidcock became the youngest man to win a Tour de France stage at Alpe d'Huez, while the overall podium standings shifted again.

I think I can go [with my] head up, motivated, for the next week.” Pogacar said he cracked on Wednesday because he was “a little bit stupid” putting too much energy into the penultimate climb of that day’s stage. “It made my Tour de France,” said Pidcock, a 22-year-old in his first Tour, a year after winning the Olympic mountain bike title.

The mountain bike Olympic champion from Britain attacked on the ascent, and his frenetic pace up the legendary 21 hairpin bends was too fast for his breakaway ...

After spending the day harassing the two-time champion with relentless attacks, Vingegaard finally dropped his Slovenian rival in the last climb of Stage 11. Pidcock beat the record of Colombia's Lucho Herrera, who was 23 when he won on Alpe d'Huez in 1984. For his first day in the yellow jersey, Vingegaard finished three minutes, 23 seconds behind Pidcock to keep his overall lead intact.

Britain's Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) become the youngest winner in history on Alpe d'Huez after lighting up Stage 12 at the Tour de France.

His winning margin on Meintjes was up to 48 seconds over the line, with Froome taking third at 2’06” and Powless fourth at 2’29”. After solid shifts on the front from Steven Kruijswijk, Primoz Roglic and the green jersey Wout van Aert, Jumbo-Visma leader Vingegaard was relatively fresh when Pogacar put in his inevitable attack with around four kilometres remaining. But it was the American Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) who soloed clear from the gun as the race left Briancon ahead of the first of three massive mountain tests. “The gap was small enough to go across and it worked out perfectly in the end. That was certainly one of my best experiences in cycling – it was unreal. “The idea was to get into the break and I lost enough time yesterday to get some freedom.