“Be patient, slow down,” I reminded myself as we neared the summit of the Col de la Colombiere in the French Alps, a climb that’s been ridden 23 times in the Tour de France.
And, trust me, they don’t include it so regularly in the world’s most famous race because it’s easy. The Colombiere is a 17.6-kilometer (10.9-mile) challenge with an average gradient of 6.5 percent. (There’s a sign every kilometer that lets you know the gradient for the upcoming kilometer.)
