The Tour de France doesn't climb mountains. It drags cyclists up them - on live television, competing against the clock. That's the legend. But the reality of riding these routes yourself is straightforward: it's a long strategic grind, and the moment you need water or food, the roadside geography becomes everything.
We took all ten most iconic Tour climbs and routed each one end-to-end using BRouter, the open-source routing engine. No estimates. Every climb measured from base town to summit with real elevation data, real distances, real gradients. Then we queried OpenStreetMap's Overpass API to find what's within 200 metres of each road - cafés, restaurants, water sources, viewpoints, mountain huts.
The answer: the Tour's climbs vary wildly. Some sit in dense valleys thick with food and water options. Others climb through empty moorland where the closest café is far off the road. The most useful planning insight isn't which climb is hardest - it's which ones force you to plan fuel stops, and which ones let you play it by ear.
Our methodology
Routes: Each climb routed from base town to summit using BRouter with the trekking profile (realistic cycling roads, not straight lines).
Coordinates: Base towns geocoded via Nominatim; summit coordinates from our database of 1,194 famous climbs.
POIs: Queried Overpass for cafés, restaurants, drinking water, viewpoints, and mountain huts within 200 metres either side of the route.
Stats: Distance and elevation change calculated from BRouter's GeoJSON output (haversine formula for distance, elevation deltas for climb).
The ten climbs - measured data
1. Col du Tourmalet - The Pyrenean Giant
Base: Sainte-Marie-de-Campan | Distance: 16.98 km | Elevation: 1,306 m | Gradient: 7.7%
The Tourmalet is the Tour's highest road pass - first climbed in 1910, and a TdF fixture ever since. Sixteen and a half kilometres may sound manageable at 7.7%, but the accumulation is relentless, and this climb often comes late in a mountain stage.
POI coverage note: OpenStreetMap's coverage in this section is sparse. We found no named cafés, restaurants, or water sources within 200 metres of our measured route. This doesn't mean the road is dry - it means the map reflects the rural nature of the Pyrenean foothills. Local knowledge, recent race reports, and checking Google Maps reviews are essential for actual ride planning.
Strategic note: The base town (Sainte-Marie-de-Campan) has food and water. Push past that and you're relying on roadside villages that may not be mapped. Fuel up early.
2. Alpe d'Huez - The 21 Switchbacks
Base: Bourg-d'Oisans | Distance: 8.65 km | Elevation: 807 m | Gradient: 9.3%
Alpe d'Huez is the Tour's most famous climb - twenty-one numbered switchbacks, each screaming "STAGE WINNER" on white tarmac. It's brutally short and relentlessly steep, with almost no shade. Riders don't stop because the legs won't go 10 kph anymore.
POI data: Sparse. We found one named water source within 200m (and several unnamed fountains tagged on the lower approach). The hairpins themselves pass through no settlements - rock face and alpine grass dominate the upper sections.
Realistic stops: Fuel up in Bourg-d'Oisans or the first two switchbacks. Above that, you're committed. The summit cafés are at the car park, not on the climb.
3. Mont Ventoux - The Bald Mountain
Base: Bédoin | Distance: 21.49 km | Elevation: 1,603 m | Gradient: 7.5%
Mont Ventoux is different from the Alpine climbs. It's not steep by Tour standards (7.5% average) but it's long - 1,600 metres climbed over 21 kilometres, much of it exposed to the mistral wind. The lower sections are forested and dotted with hamlets; the upper reaches are moonscape scree.
POI data: Limited by the mapping APIs during our query, but Bédoin itself (the base town) is a proper destination with town infrastructure - restaurants, cafés, shops. The climb threads through small villages. Without mapped POI coverage for those stretches, we recommend checking recent race reports and Google Maps for the villages along the route.
Strategic note: Ventoux's 7.5% gradient leaves room for strategy. Unlike Alpe d'Huez where you suffer in one push, Ventoux rewards a stop halfway. Stop at Bédoin before starting, then again around km 12-14 if the legs are struggling.
4. Puy de Dôme - The Lost Climb
Base: Clermont-Ferrand (approach only) | Distance: 14.36 km (to approach) | Elevation: 1,077 m | Gradient: 7.5%
The Puy de Dôme held a special place in Tour legend - a 1,465-metre sentinel overlooking Clermont-Ferrand, climbed dozens of times since 1975, and hosting some of cycling's most famous moments.
As of 2022, the road to the summit is closed to bikes. The route is now the Panoramique des Dômes - a toll road reserved for a rack railway and tour coaches. Our measured route shows only the approach from Clermont-Ferrand; the final 1.5 kilometres are no longer available.
POI data: Clermont-Ferrand is a proper city with cafés, restaurants, and infrastructure. The lower approach passes through small villages (though mapping coverage is thin for specific POI details). If you're planning to ride the approach, stop in Clermont-Ferrand before departing.
Honest caveat: The climb itself - the final pull to the summit - is off-limits. It's one of the great historical routes that no longer exists for cyclists. Plan the approach as a training climb, not a Tour recreation.
5. Col du Galibier - The Gateway to the Alps
Base: Valloire | Distance: 18.09 km | Elevation: 1,276 m | Gradient: 7.0%
The Galibier is the Tour's most famous Alpine pass - 2,642 metres, and a gateway between the lower French Alps and the high country. Eighteen kilometres at 7% doesn't sound extreme, but this is serious altitude, often combined with other major climbs in a mountain stage.
POI data: Valloire (the base town) has restaurants and cafés. Within the first 200m of the route, we found:
| Point of Interest | Distance | Category |
|---|---|---|
| L'Asile des Fondues | 8 m | Restaurant |
| Restaurant de l'hôtel de la Poste | 10 m | Restaurant |
| Gîte/Alpine Hut | 50+ m | Shelter |
Strategic note: Stop at one of the two restaurants at km 0-1, fuel up properly, and then commit to the climb. The upper sections are thin on roadside infrastructure; plan to carry water after the base stops.
Street View option: Valloire town centre for reference on where the restaurants are located.
6. Col d'Izoard - The Casse Déserte
Base: Briançon | Distance: 19.63 km | Elevation: 1,321 m | Gradient: 6.7%
The Izoard climbs to 2,360 metres and features the infamous Casse Déserte - a barren scree section near the top that's been a Tour favourite since the 1920s. Nearly 20 kilometres and only 6.7% average, which sounds easy until the altitude and wind kick in.
POI data: This climb had the best OpenStreetMap coverage of our survey. Within 200 metres of the route:
| Point of Interest | Distance | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Viewpoint (unnamed) | 7 m | Viewpoint |
| Water fountain | 9 m | Drinking Water |
| Place to B smash burger | 10 m | Restaurant |
| Water fountain | 15 m | Drinking Water |
| Le Cosy | 18 m | Café |
Total POIs within 200m: 68 (including restaurants, cafés, water, viewpoints, and shelters)
Strategic note: Briançon is a substantial town; start fuelled. The middle sections have mapped water and food stops. The Casse Déserte itself is exposed and offers no shelter or water - hit it fresh from your last stop.
7. Col d'Aubisque - The Pyrenean Test
Base: Laruns | Distance: 17.2 km | Elevation: 1,396 m | Gradient: 8.1%
The Aubisque is the steeper Pyrenean climb at 8.1% average - 17 kilometres of consistent push. It's often paired with other climbs in a mountain stage, which means arriving at the base already fatigued.
POI data: Sparse mapping coverage. We found scattered viewpoints marked near the route, but no named cafés or restaurants within our 200-metre corridor. Laruns (the base town) has essentials; beyond that, rely on local knowledge and recent race reports.
Strategic note: Fuel completely at Laruns. The climb is consistent and offers no obvious mid-route escapes for a stop without losing precious time.
8. Ballon d'Alsace - The Tour's First Mountain
Base: Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle | Distance: 9.05 km | Elevation: 625 m | Gradient: 6.9%
The Ballon d'Alsace has the longest Tour history - the very first mountain in the very first Tour in 1905. At just 9 kilometres and 625 metres, it's a short punchy climb, but its historical weight is enormous.
POI data: Sparse. No named cafés or restaurants mapped within 200 metres. Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle is a small village; basic supplies available but not guaranteed restaurant coverage.
Strategic note: This climb is manageable even without a mid-route stop - nine kilometres at 6.9% is achievable. Fuel at the base and push through.
9. Col de la Bonette (Cime de la Bonette) - Europe's Highest Road
Base: Jausiers | Distance: 23.59 km | Elevation: 1,724 m | Gradient: 7.3%
The Bonette climbs to 2,802 metres - the highest paved road in Europe. At nearly 24 kilometres and 1,724 metres, it's not the steepest but it's relentless, and altitude at 2,800 metres takes a toll even on strong riders.
POI data: Sparse coverage in this remote section. No mapped cafés or restaurants within 200 metres of the route. Jausiers is the nearest town with supplies.
Strategic note: This is the longest climb in our survey. Start well-fuelled and carry water/snacks to manage the distance. The upper sections are remote; don't rely on roadside stops.
10. La Planche des Belles Filles - The Modern Mountain
Base: Plancher-les-Mines | Distance: 5 km | Elevation: 312 m | Gradient: 6.2%
La Planche is the newcomer to the Tour's pantheon - first featured in 2012, now a regular stage-ending climb. At only five kilometres and 312 metres, it's the shortest and least steep on this list. It's designed for race tempo, not survival.
POI data: Sparse. No named cafés or restaurants within 200 metres. This climb isn't about stops; it's about pace.
Strategic note: If you're stopping, stop at the base. Five kilometres is too short to require a mid-climb break for training. It's a test of legs and lungs, not logistics.
The POI reality check
Every POI on OpenStreetMap is only as good as the crowdsourced mapping that backs it. A café tagged amenity=cafe might have closed. A water fountain mapped five years ago might be dry. Street View often can't verify small roadside infrastructure - the angle is wrong, trees have grown, a sign came down.
Our 200-metre corridor captures what should be there according to the map. Reality on a given day varies. The Izoard had 68 POIs in our search; the practical list of places a cyclist would confidently stop is probably half that. Some are closed seasonally, some are on tiny side roads, some are marked because someone mapped a historical building years ago.
Honest use case: This data is a planning tool, not a guarantee. If you're planning a climb and the map shows a restaurant at km 8, check a recent Google Maps review before departing (season matters - many Alpine spots close November-March). Carry enough water and calories to be wrong once. And if a place has closed, you're still in a region with decades of accumulated tourism infrastructure.
How PitStopper detects these climbs
Load any of the ten climbs as a GPX into PitStopper, and it does something rather useful: it detects the famous climb automatically. The app maintains a database of 1,194 named climbs from three sources (BigCycling.eu, 100 Climbs, and CyclingUp.eu) - summit coordinates, source URLs, and names.
When you load a route, PitStopper calculates whether your route passes within a tight radius of any summit. If it does, it flags it - "Detected: Col du Galibier" - and highlights the location on the map. The elevation profile shows you the climb in context. And if you want to know what's 200 metres away when you're gasping at 2,400 metres, set the search radius, tick a POI category (Cafés, Restaurants, Water), and the results populate in seconds from pre-loaded data.
The workflow:
- Drop your GPX on the front page (any size)
- Wait for the route to render and background prefetch to complete
- PitStopper detects famous climbs and flags them
- Set search radius (20 m for what's brushing the wheel; 200 m for realistic stops)
- Tick POI categories and see roadside options instantly
Download the routes
All ten climbs are available as GPX files - ready to load into PitStopper, your bike computer, or any mapping app.
[Routes available for download in the PitStopper app - load them directly]
Data sources: Climb coordinates from BigCycling.eu, 100 Climbs, and CyclingUp.eu. Routes via BRouter. POI data from OpenStreetMap and Overpass API. Geocoding via Nominatim. Route and analysis performed with PitStopper.
