Last Thursday’s Stage 18 of the 2013 Tour de France was 172.5 km (107.2 mi), from the town of Gap to Alpe d’Huez. This year’s route required the riders to climb up to the ski resort Alpe d’Huez twice, accending 1124 m (3687 ft) in 13.8 km (8.5 mi), an 8.1% average grade. The climb to Alp D’Huez is categorized Hors catégorie, a French term used in cycle races (most notably, the Tour de France) to designate a climb that is “beyond categorization”, an incredibly tough climb. (Wikipedia)