Spectators are right in the thick of the action at Alpe d'Huez. © APA/afp / JEFF PACHOUD

“Iconic”: Showdown in the cycling mecca Alpe d’Huez

These are the 21 most famous serpentine roads in the world that lead directly to the cycling mecca.

July 23, 2026

From: dpa/det

When the Tour de France returns to Alpe d'Huez for its grand showdown after a four-year hiatus, more than half a million fans will transform the mountain into a madhouse. The throngs of spectators will leave the riders with only a narrow path up the climb. "This year it will be iconic because we're riding up there twice," predicts Tour champion Tadej Pogacar.

The myth of Alpe d'Huez – this pilgrimage site in cycling provides the stage for the grand finale of the 113th Tour de France. Both Friday and Saturday's stages finish at the legendary ski resort at an altitude of 1850 meters. By then, any remaining doubts about the Tour champion should be dispelled.

An iconic stage awaits. © APA/afp / JEFF PACHOUD

Alpe d'Huez is to cycling what Wembley is to football or the Streif is to skiing. Yet, at 13,8 kilometers long and with an average gradient of 8,1 percent, the climb isn't actually that difficult. "The history makes this climb iconic," says Pogacar.

Coppi first winner – Dutch Mountain

Alpe d'Huez, the stage for great dramas, gestures, and triumphs. Fausto Coppi won the first mountain finish of the Tour de France here in 1952, followed by a 24-year hiatus before the Dutch rediscovered the mountain. Eight times between 1976 and 1989, a Dutch rider was the first to reach the summit. Hennie Kuiper, Peter Winnen, Joop Zoetemelk, Steven Rooks, and Gert-Jan Theunisse made Alpe d'Huez the Dutch mountain. "Winning there is as important to us as winning the World Championship," said Kuiper.

The clear favorite: Tadej Pogacar. © ANSA / YOAN VALAT

Fittingly, the parish priest at the time, Jaap Reuten, was also of Dutch descent. Whenever the racing drivers tackled the mountain, he would ring the church bells. Even though the Netherlands currently doesn't have a winning driver for the climb to the summit of the Oisans Mountains, the Dutch national team will be seen and heard along the route. Turn seven is the "Dutch Corner." Here, things get even louder and crazier.

Hinault and Lemond hand in hand

In 1986, Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond crossed the finish line hand in hand on Avenue du Rif Nel. The American gifted the victory to his teammate Hinault after the latter had supported him in the battle for the yellow jersey.

Things took a dramatic turn in 1999 when an amateur photographer got in the way of then-Telekom professional Giuseppe Guerini and knocked him to the ground. The diminutive Italian got back up, however, and still managed to win.
Jan Ullrich suffered one of his most bitter defeats against Lance Armstrong in Alpe d'Huez in 2001. His team had pushed the pace all day because the Texan seemed to be faltering. It was all a bluff. As the road climbed to Alpe d'Huez, Armstrong turned to his German rival and then sped off in a staccato burst. "The Look" became world-famous, even though, as Armstrong later clarified, his gaze was actually directed at his teammate José Luis Rubiera.

Pantani holds record

Never mind, history had been made. The official record is still held by Marco Pantani with 36:50 minutes from 1995. Will the insatiable Pogacar also surpass this mark? If the world champion wins, he will also be immortalized in one of the corners. Each corner bears the name of a stage winner, and the numbering is reversed. Some signs bear two names because the climb has already been done 31 times in the Tour.

On Friday, the ski resort will be reached in the classic way from Le Bourg d'Oisans, while on Saturday the peloton will ride over the Col de Sarenne to Alpe d'Huez, including a section without spectators. But it's never really quiet in Alpe d'Huez.