“Col du Tourmalet” Details (Zwift Climb Portal)
Key Details
- Category: HC
- Length: 17.2 km (10.7 miles)
- Elevation Gain: 1213 m (3,980‘)
- Average Gradient: 6.9%
- Country: France
- Watopia Climb Segment
- Watopia Descent Segment
- France Climb Segment
- France Descent Segment
- 5 W/kg: 49 minutes
- 4 W/kg: 61 minutes
- 3 W/kg: 78 minutes
- 2 W/kg: 114 minutes
Strava Segments
Time Estimates
Part of a chain of three road climbs in the Pyrenees (the others being Col de Peyresourde and Col d’Aspin), the hors catégorie Tourmalet has been used more than any other climb in the history of the Tour! 2023’s stage 6 marked its 88th appearance in the world’s greatest bike race.
The Tourmalet’s first appearance in the Tour was in 1910 when the Pyrenees were introduced. Octave Lapize was the first rider over the top, and he went on to win the GC in Paris. In 1913, Eugène Christophe famously broke his fork on the Tourmalet and repaired it himself at a forge in Sainte-Marie-de-Campan.
There are two roads to the top of real-life Col du Tourmalet: one beginning northeast of the summit in Sainte Marie de Campan, the other beginning southwest from Luz-Saint-Sauveur. Zwift’s Tourmalet is the shorter route from Sainte Marie de Campan.
See the IRL climb from Sainte Marie de Campan:
These climbs cause me to adjust trainer difficulty down just to be able to keep a reasonable cadence. Is there a way to equate the percentage used with actual gearing? Say I run 30 percent TD with a 39X23 gear. What gearing would that be at 100 percent TD? As I type this, I think maybe converting that gearing to how many inches forward you would go in one pedal revolution and take 30 percent of that. Does that sound reanonable?
Cheers,
David
Here’s a post to help ya out: https://zwiftinsider.com/trainer-difficulty-granny-gear/
Also this one: https://zwiftinsider.com/trainer-difficulty-gear-ratio/
I do this as well, on a wattbike, I’ve no idea what you mean lol its quite a clever feature, essentially like putting a climbing gearing on
Most mere mortals can’t do these climbs with standard gearing on their bikes IRL. I know for sure I would need at least 2 less cogs in the front and 2 more in the back or I’d be spinning at 45 rpm!
Not looked at erics’ posts but, 39×23 really is old skool. Fine if you’re very fit and light. I’d be wanting 34×34 IRL and I’m 59kg, so, yes, reduce TD to say 25%
Kudos to David Riley for keeping it real!
You kids and your newfangled gearing. I’ve managed to get my antique 13-21/39-52 geared 14-sp Cannondale from 1990 up Alpe d’Zwift a couple of times, up the complete Ventoux once and had moderate difficulty at anything over 6%. Cadence was in the low 60s and the speed was slowly slowly.
I’ve since switched my rear freewheel (remember those?) to a 14-25 adding a 23 and 25 to move into and, while I’m not exactly flying uphill at 90rpm, can at least spin more comfortably at steeper grades. Problem is, with most of my Zwifting, I’m missing those 16 and 18 tooth cogs from the old hub, making my shifting more of a thought process than it used to be. One of these days I’ll get one of these 24speed setups with a 34-34 of which you speak and just you wait!
cant you just change gear?
Eric, your time estimates for the climb are very accurate! I am an 87 kg rider and knew I needed to hold at least 4 wkg on the climb to go sub 60 min. I ended up with a time of 59:10 at 4.05 wkg
Nicely done, sir.
These estimates are based on steady-state bot tests on the actual climbs. Times can vary depending on which bike you use, if you fluctuate your power smartly, how much you draft on flatter stuff, etc. but they should be accurate within a minute or two on a long climb like this.
Hi Eric @Eric Schlange I was wondering if the strava segments (ascent and descent) are from the portal entrance to the finish banner and the reverse back down? Contemplating some hill repeats the coming weekend, and also if it is feasible to freewheel all the way down as on the Alpe?
My plan is France portal, ascent, U-turn after finish banner, descent while refilling bottles (off the bike), then U-turn from wherever the bike has stopped (assumingly some distance after the portal i.e. back on the France map), and enter the portal again etc. Make sense? Thanks! =)
Yes, the climb starts at the portal entrance and goes to the final arch. Then the descent is the opposite of that.
Seems like your plan would work just fine!
Everested Col du Tourmalet yesterday. Still on Zwift version1.43 so there was no chat in the portal. For the descents, I did not get all the way down freewheeling as the climb has some steep humps in the lower portion. Ended up pedaling down after approx 10min freewheeling, this led to about 19minutes average for each descent. On the Alpe I shift according to percentage and feel. In the portal I shift according to color and feel. This lead to some more adjusting than at the Alpe for the first few ascents. I must say that the portal is awesome for pacing. Awesome. Just wished the segment stats remained to the summit instead of being removed half way though the last segment.
Go Sepp! one day at a time
Are these coming back soon, i really like to try this Tourmalet?
This friday, saturday and sunday it will be available.
I will be very curious to see how the new Zwift Hub One will affect climbing, cadence, even everesting as I believe I read somewhere that the 24 gears will provide the equivalent of 55/30T chainring combo with an 11-40 cassette. That is a nice granny gear, and more!
The virtual gearing makes the trainer difficulty of 100% no issue at all.
I’ve only done one portal climb, but my average power was under 200 watts, basically pushing harder on the steeper bits and backing off a bit on the flatter parts. I was able to easily spin a gear and I wasn’t in the lowest gear available at any point.
i.e it’s really no different to doing 180 watts on the flat c/w pushing into the mid-200s on short climbs.
That said, which real life gear you use does affect the feel of the virtual gearing. Most seem to be settling on the big ring as giving the best feel, but for these climbs it’d probably feel a bit more realistic to use the little ring. The resistance will be the same, but the fact the flywheel on the trainer won’t spin up as much will give more the sensation of how climbing feels – in fact I think that sensation is why a lot of people switched to the big ring when using the kickr cog in the first place.
Do you plan on adding the Peyresourde, would be great to ride all 3 the Col d’Aspin/Tourmalet the same day.
Hi,
does climbing one of those climbs (i.e. Tourmalet) awards any xp points?
tnx
Sure, like every other route. As a bonus, theres a chance to get 10/250 XP on every arche.
Has anyone Everested on this? I’m thinking it looks a better option than the Alpe?
I really enjoyed this climb in the portal. I’ve done it at 100% and 125% and it has become my favorite climb. I have a 1:06:00 as my PR at 100% and still had a little extra in the tank. Maybe I can break the hour mark?? Glad to see Zwift keeping this in the portal rotation.
I have climb two routes of the zwift Tour de France portal on real world.
both times the heroic level has not unlocked, anyone else found this?
Great asset to plan rides and know what you will be facing…or not. Love it :)Kev
thanks for the eta’s on the climbs Eric, i’m now on a Zwift Ride and with cog and i can do them between your 2w/kg and 3w/kg which as a cat D rider with the back injury I have im really proud of.I do all at 100% to which makes it hard to climb but i keep at at.
I wish this was the climb from the other side. I’ve done that one IRL!