France · Pyrenees
Hautacam
A summit finish that has decided Tour de France battles. The final 4km at 10%+ through exposed hillside are punishing.
- Length
- 13.6 km
- Avg gradient
- 7.8%
- Max gradient
- 13%
- Elevation gain
- 1,060 m
- Summit
- 1,520 m
- Hairpins
- 10
Versants
- From Argelès-Gazost — 13.6 km at 7.8% (max 13%)
History
Hautacam has hosted Tour de France stage finishes multiple times and is famous for its brutal final 4 km at double-digit gradients. The ski station at the summit is modest, but the climb is anything but — it's a steep, relentless assault on the last steep ramps.
From Argelès-Gazost the climb is 13.6 km at 7.8% average, but that average hides the structure: a moderate lower section followed by savage steeper ramps that kick above 10% and stay there. Riders racing for the summit finish must preserve energy through the lower sections and then execute a fierce final assault.
The mountain has produced some of the Tour's memorable stage wins and battles, and it's become a benchmark climb for testing climbers in July. The relatively short distance combined with the steep finish makes it a climb where tactical racing and pure strength both matter.