How do the Coromandel Hills compare to the Tour de France?
Saturday 25 July 2009, 6:24PM
By The ARC Team
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We often get asked how the hills on the RoadCraft K2 compare to the Tour de France. Well this year’s pen ultimate stage gives a good comparison.
The climb up Mont Ventoux has become legendary as the scene of one of the most gruelling climbs in the Tour de France. Tomorrow marks the fourteenth time that the climb has been used in the Tour. The mountain achieved world wide notoriety when it claimed the life of British cyclist Tom Simpson within ½ mile of the summit. In 1970 Eddy Merckx rode himself to the brink of collapse while winning the stage. He received oxygen, recovered and won the Tour.
The 20th stage is going to be a fascinating contest between the world’s greatest riders with more than the yellow jersey at stake.
So how do the statistics stack up with the RoadCraft K2 ?
The final climb from Bedoin to the summit of Mont Ventoux covers a distance of 21.8km and climbs a total of 1,617m, an average gradient of 7.42%. The last 16km of the climb averages 8.9%. This is the equivalent of climbing the Whangapoau Hill 5 times!
Interestingly however the Coromandel Hills have some steeper gradients than one of the Tours toughest climbs.
Climb 1 – Kouatunu Average Gradient 6.1% - distance – 2.0km, climb 123 m
Climb 2 - Myundermans Average Gradient 10.6% - distance 0.9km, climb 91m
Climb 3 – Whangapoua Average Gradient 9.0% - distance 3.5km, climb 315m
Climb 4 – Manaia Average Gradient 6.5%, distance 2.1km, climb 137m
Climb 5 – Kereta Average Gradient 7.6%, distance 2.83km, climb 214m
Climb 6 – Kopu- Hikuai Average Gradient 3.6%, distance 11.5km, climb 414m
The final 3km of the Kopu Hikua has an average gradient of 6.4%.
Climb 7 – Pumpkin – Average Gradient 5.7%, distance 3.7km, climb 208m
The total of these 7 climbs is as follows (using the last 3km of the Kopu-Hikuai)
Average Gradient - 7.5%
Distance – 23.3km
Climb – 1,757
So you can see why the RoadCraft K2 is such a tough race, the sum of the seven hills, is longer, steeper and higher than the Tours toughest climb.
So if you want to see how you compare with the Worlds greatest - then come and enter the RoadCraft K2 - see www.arcevents.co.nz/k2cycle
We wonder if Contadour could beat the 5 hour mark ?
Cheers
The ARC Team