Tour de France founder Henri Desgrange got a kick out of making his riders suffers and so the Col du Galibier, the Frenchman’s favourite climb, comes with a significant reputation.

The col can be climbed from both sides but the classic ascent is from the north, starting in Valloire and rising for 17.6km at an average gradient of seven per cent. Valloire itself stands at an elevation of some 1,400m and riders will likely have tackled the Col du Télégraphe (11.8km at 7.3 per cent) to numb the legs before the ascent of the Galibier has even begun.

Once those first pedal strokes have been turned, however, the road ploughs its relentless path to an altitude of more than 2,645m, where the air is thin, the oxygen in short supply and the steepest kilometre is saved for the final haul to the summit.

Vital statistics

Length: 17.6km
Average gradient: 7%
Start elevation: 1,431m
End elevation: 2,645m