What system or rule is used to give a hill or mountain a category in the Tour De France?
January 16, 2010
How is a hill or mountain given a category in the Tour de France. What makes a 1, 2 , 3 category climb?
The categories are assigned subjectively based on:
length of the climb
altitude difference from bottom to top
average (and steepest) grade
summit elevation
climb’s position on the stage (early or late)
width and conditions of the road
After considering all these factors, the Tour’s director sportif makes his recommendations after driving over the stage routes a couple of months before the race. Also, the Tour is supposed to be TOUGH, so what might be a Cat 2 climb in Le Tour might be a Cat 1 in another race.
Typically for the Tour, Category 4 is an easy, short climb.
Category 3 is the easiest "real" climb – ie, 5km at a 5% grade.
Category 2 is about as tough as you could ever see here in the states. (Something like 5km at a grade of 8-8.5%)
Category 1 typically a long climb (15 – 20+ km) at a not too steep grade – 5-6%.
Hors Category is long and steep.
The altitude difference is at least 1000km and an average grade of 7% or more.
The categories are assigned subjectively based on:
length of the climb
altitude difference from bottom to top
average (and steepest) grade
summit elevation
climb’s position on the stage (early or late)
width and conditions of the road
After considering all these factors, the Tour’s director sportif makes his recommendations after driving over the stage routes a couple of months before the race. Also, the Tour is supposed to be TOUGH, so what might be a Cat 2 climb in Le Tour might be a Cat 1 in another race.
Typically for the Tour, Category 4 is an easy, short climb.
Category 3 is the easiest "real" climb – ie, 5km at a 5% grade.
Category 2 is about as tough as you could ever see here in the states. (Something like 5km at a grade of 8-8.5%)
Category 1 typically a long climb (15 – 20+ km) at a not too steep grade – 5-6%.
Hors Category is long and steep.
The altitude difference is at least 1000km and an average grade of 7% or more.
References :
http://bicycling.about.com/od/tourdefrance/f/tdfclimbs.htm
I read an interview by a TDF director that it was to do with which gear the Tour Director’s car was in to go up it, and if it overheated or stalled it was given an HC category!
References :