On The Mountain Stages, Explained

The following is from James Raia's blog and I find helpful to understand what the guys on Versus mean when they say a Category 3 climb.

Since Tour de France riders are in the midst of spending three straight days on some of the most famous and infamous climbs in the Pyrenees, it's a good time to define the severity of climbs and how they make or break riders' races.

Climbs in bike races are categorized in increasing order of difficulty, from 4 to 1 and then “hors categorie” or “above category.” The designation is of above category is often shortened to HC, and it's reserved for the most difficult ascents.

Race organizers can categorize mountains in their races as they wish. But Tour de France organizers follow strict guidelines via the length of a climb and its average gradient or grade.A climb with a 10 percent grade, for example, rises one foot for every 10 feet it advances

Here's how Tour de France organizers rate climbs:

Category 4 – Typically shorter than two kilometers and with about a five percent grade or as long a five kilometers with a two or three percent grade.

Category 3 — Can be as short as 1.5 kilometers with a steep grade of up to 10 percent. Can also be as long as 10 kilometers with an average grade of less than five percent.

Category 2 — Can be as five kilometers with an eight percent grade or as long as 15 kilometers at four percent.

Category 1 — Can be eight kilometers at eight percent to as long as 20 kilometers at five percent.

Hors Categorie — Reserved for the most severe ascents. Can be a category 1 climb with a summit at the finish of a stage. Can also be 10 kilometers with an average grade of 7.5 percent or as long as 25 kilometers at with at least an average grade of six percent.

The above category climbs in the 2009 Tour de France:

Stage 7 — Andorre-Arcalis (elevation, 2,240 meters), (10.6 kilometers, 7 percent, summit finish.
Stage 9 — Col du Tourmalet (elevation, 2,115 meters), 17 kilometers, 7.5 percent, mid-stage.
Stage 16 — Col du Grand-Saint Bernard (elevation, 2,473 meters), 29 kilometers, 6.2 percent, early stage.
Stage 20 — Mont Ventoux (elevation, 1,912 meters), 21.6 kilometers, 7.6 percent, summit finish.

Now what is Rattlesnake with a 16% climb over a 1km distance? Technically because it is so short I guess only a Category 4 climb. Personally I'd rather have a 20km at 5% than a 1km at 16%.