Alpe d'Huez

The Story of Pro Cycling's Greatest Climb

By: Peter Cossins

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Paperback | 22 June 2016

At a Glance

Paperback
304 Pages

Age
0

Dimensions(cm)
2.2 x 12.8 x 19.5

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It has been called the Tour de France's 'Hollywood climb', and there is no doubt that Alpe d'Huez has played a starring role in cycling's history since its first encounter with the sport back in 1952 when the legendary Fausto Coppi triumphed on the summit. Re-introduced to the Tour in 1976, Alpe d'Huez has risen to mythical status, thanks initially to a string of victories by riders from Holland, whose exploits attracted tens of thousands of their compatriots to the climb, which has become known as 'Dutch mountain'.

A snaking 13.8-kilometre ascent rising up through 21 numbered hairpins at an average gradient of 7.8%, Alpe d'Huez is the climb on which every great rider wants to win. Many of the sport's most famous and now even infamous names have won on the Alpe, including Bernard Hinault, Joop Zoetemelk, Lucho Herrera, Marco Pantani and Lance Armstrong. As well as days of brilliance, there have controversies such as the high-speed and drug-fuelled duels of the EPO years in the 1990s and into the new millennium.

This is a tale of man and machine battling against breath-taking terrain for the ultimate prize.

Industry Reviews

'A thorough explanation of why Alpe d'Huez can now claim to be the best known climb in cycling'

'Cossins meticulously describes every hairpin of [Alpe d'Huez] with history and colourEURO| these are the kind of tales on which cycling thrives.'

'an interesting and revealing account of the great climb'

'peter cossins has planned and authored this book almost to perfection. his prose, pacing and research are admirable to say the least... and yes, he may be right, alpe d'huez could very well be cycling's greatest climb.'

'an interesting and revealing account of the great climb'

'the highly accessible prose and sheer joy of the writing could tempt even the most casual Sunday cyclists... If any one single climb deserves a book all to itself, it's the Alpe d'Huez'

'an enjoyable and informative read, loaded with Tour anecdotes and extra-sporting stories'

'Cossins meticulously describes every hairpin of [Alpe d'Huez] with history and colour... these are the kind of tales on which cycling thrives.'

'A thorough explanation of why Alpe d'Huez can now claim to be the best known climb in cycling'

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