100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of the Tour de France

Simon Warren has been obsessed with cycling since the summer of 1989 after watching Greg Lemond battle Laurent Fignon in the Tour de France. A few weeks later, he rode his first race, a 10-mile time trial on the A1 from Newark to Grantham and back, and was hooked for life. Although not having what it took to beat the best, he found his forte was racing up hills, and so began his fascination with steep roads. After years in the saddle, up and down the UK, his quest to discover Britain’s greatest climbs resulted in 2010’s bestselling 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs, followed to date by a further 14 guides to vertical pain. Covering the British Isles, Belgium, France, Italy and Spain, Simon has now been riding and racing up hills and mountains for over 30 years. He gives talks, guides rides, has written columns for magazines and in 2020 released his first book of cycling routes, Ride Britain. Simon splits his time between working as a graphic designer and running his 100 Climbs brand, and lives in Sheffield on the edge of the Peak District with his wife and two children.

• ContentsPreludePyreneesMassif CentralVosgesA spectator’s guide to the TourJuraAlpes du NordAlpes du SudChecklist