Tomorrow marks the start of La Vuelta a España Femenina, first of three Grand Tours. As we anticipated in our route preview, which we highly recommend checking out, the Spanish race will conclude atop the Alto de l’Angliru, arguably the signature climb of the men’s Vuelta and one of the toughest ascents in all of Europe: 13km at an average gradient of 9.5%, with the final 6.5km averaging a brutal 13.4% and ramps reaching nearly 23%. A legendary climb that has already featured ten times in the men’s race.
But “the Beast of Asturias” won’t be the only iconic climb making its debut in a women’s Grand Tour. On June 6, during the penultimate stage of the Giro d’Italia Women, riders will tackle the fearsome Colle delle Finestre: 18.3km at 9.2%, with the final 7.5km on gravel roads. A true monument of modern cycling. The climb already holds a special place in Giro history, having proved decisive both in Chris Froome’s unforgettable 2018 comeback and in Simon Yates’ triumph last year. The women’s peloton already had a first taste of Finestre at the 2024 Tour de l’Avenir, where Marion Bunel claimed a solo victory.
Last but not least, Tour de France Femmes will feature the iconic Mont Ventoux for the very first time. The “Giant of Provence” stretches for 15.8km at an average gradient of 8.6% and has appeared 18 times in the men’s Tour, crowning legendary winners such as Merckx, Pantani, Froome, Poulidor, and Gaul. There is already a women’s precedent here as well: in 2022, the climb was tackled during the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge, won by Marta Cavalli. On that occasion, however, the riders climbed an easier side of the mountain.
In recent years, the women’s peloton has increasingly earned its place on some of cycling’s most iconic climbs: Alpe d’Huez, Col du Tourmalet, Monte Zoncolan, Lagos de Covadonga, Blockhaus… The arrival of Angliru, Finestre, and Ventoux in the women’s Grand Tours marks yet another important step in the growth of the sport, finally recognized at the level its history and competitiveness deserve!rs.