The legendary climbs of the Tour de France are more than just inclines on a map—they’re the crucibles where champions are forged and dreams unravel. For over a century, these ascents have shaped the race’s mythology, creating timeless duels across the Alps and Pyrenees. From steep pitches to rolling hills, every climb is graded by difficulty: fourth, third, second, first, and the almost mythical hors catégorie (HC)—literally “beyond classification.”
For contenders chasing the polka-dot jersey of the King of the Mountains, these classifications mean everything. Each climb holds a bounty of points. A modest fourth-category bump earns a single point, while cresting an HC monster first bags you 20—doubled if it’s also the stage finish. This scoring system fuels some of the Tour’s most aggressive and heroic performances.
Myth Versus Method
For years, a charming legend floated around: climb categories were once decided by the gear a Citroën 2CV needed to reach the summit. If it needed first gear, it was a first-category climb. HC? The little car couldn’t make it at all. But according to Tour de France race director Thierry Gouvenou, that’s nothing more than folklore.
“Perhaps the story came from a drunken night between journalists,” Gouvenou told Rouleur Mag. “In cycling we have so many stories like that that have been embellished over time. Maybe there’s some truth in it somewhere, but I’m not convinced.”
The Formula Behind the Fear
Instead, ASO—the Tour’s organizers—employ a straightforward formula: multiply a climb’s length by the square of its average gradient. Take Alpe d’Huez, for example. Its 13.8 km stretch averages 8.1% gradient, producing a score of 905 (13.8 x 8.1²). That easily qualifies it as HC.
Here’s how the formula breaks down:
- 600+ points: Hors Catégorie (HC)
- 300–600 points: 1st Category
- 150–300 points: 2nd Category
- 75–150 points: 3rd Category
- Up to 75 points: 4th Category
“I applied this formula to the Tour and went back over all the climbs about 15 years ago,” Gouvenou said. “Most of what had been done over the years fit within this framework.”
When the Numbers Aren’t Enough
Yet, cycling—like art—resists being reduced to just numbers. Some climbs require a more nuanced assessment. That’s when Gouvenou and a team of former pros take to the field. Take the Col de la Loze, for instance. When they scoped it out in 2019, the numbers stunned them: a score of 1,300. The climb debuted in the 2020 Tour and immediately joined the pantheon of iconic HC ascents alongside Mont Ventoux and the Col du Portet.
But context matters too. A short climb near a stage finish might earn a bump in category to shape the race’s dynamics. “The closer the climb is to the finish line, the greater the chance it will be bumped up a category,” says Gouvenou.
And then there’s history. Some ascents, like the Col du Galibier, carry weight not just in meters but in meaning. First ridden in 1911, its two sides score 843 and 598 points respectively—only one makes the HC cut numerically. Yet both are classified as HC, a nod to their role in Tour lore and the drama they’ve hosted at 2,642m above sea level.
Exceptions Prove the Rule
Of course, not every classification is scientific. During the 2022 Grand Départ in Denmark—hardly mountainous terrain—organizers designated six fourth-category climbs. Why? To energize the polka-dot jersey competition from day one. “We sometimes classify climbs as fourth category that don’t really merit it,” Gouvenou admitted. That’s a bit what happened in Denmark.”
A Blend of Science, Strategy, and Soul
Ultimately, while the math offers structure, the Tour’s climb classifications are shaped by a blend of formula, fieldwork, and folklore. “We’re not strictly rigid with the classifications,” Gouvenou concludes. “The maths is really just to verify.”
That balance between science and storytelling is what keeps the spirit of the Tour de France alive—not just in the watts and gradients, but in the memories etched into every switchback and summit.