Can you imagine Tour de France without mountain stages?

In modern-day cycling, multi-stage events are predominantly decided during the mountain stages.

Mountain stages are where the general classification (GC) contenders can no longer rely solely on the protection and support of their teammates, as they often do during flat or rolling stages. In the mountains, riders are stripped down to their raw abilities, with teamwork giving way to individual talent and grit. As the gradients steepen, and the air becomes thinner, it's up to the riders themselves to prove their mettle, making or breaking their chances for overall victory.

No wonder, that throughout the history of cycling, the most iconic moments and legendary performances have often taken place on the high-altitude climbs. (Just think about it, how many time was a moment captured in the mountains the vintage cycling image of the day on the old version of PelotonTales! ) Fausto Coppi, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Marco Pantani and others all built their legacies with unforgettable performances in the mountains. These stages have the power to elevate a rider to mythical status, as fans watch in awe as they defy gravity and push their bodies beyond what seems humanly possible.

Nevertheless, in the earliest days of the Tour de France, the race bore little resemblance to the dramatic, high-altitude duels that define it today. Originally conceived at the dawn of the 20th century, the Tour was less about the riders' prowess and more a brutal test of the bicycle itself. The aim was to demonstrate the endurance and reliability of this relatively new invention, the bicycle, by pushing both man and machine to their absolute limits. Riders were tasked with covering astonishing distances, often over 300 kilometers in a single stage, enduring grueling hours of relentless pedaling through the heat, dust, and rough roads of rural France

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In those early Tours, it was not the short bursts of explosive power on steep ascents or the tactical battles in the mountains that defined the race, but rather the raw stamina required to simply survive such punishing distances. These stages, often ridden alone with little support, were more akin to marathons on wheels, emphasizing long, unbroken displays of endurance over the thrilling, high-stakes drama we associate with the modern Tour.

However, as the sport evolved, so too did its challenges. The Tour shifted from being a testament to the mechanical endurance of the bicycle to a showcase of human athleticism, skill, and tenacity. The introduction of high-altitude climbs in the Pyrenees and later the Alps marked a turning point in the race’s history. Suddenly, the mountains became a proving ground where riders could not only endure but also shine. It was in these rugged and unforgiving landscapes that cycling transformed into a spectacle of strategy, heroism, and physical prowess.

In the mountains, the focus moved from simply outlasting the distance to conquering the elevation and the fierce competition, forever changing the nature of the race. The extreme gradients, thin air, and unpredictable conditions of the high-altitude stages made for battles that were as much psychological as they were physical, and these iconic moments became the heart of the Tour’s legend. Today, it is within these mountainous realms that the Tour de France reaches its most dramatic and awe-inspiring heights, defining modern cycling in its most spectacular form.