How Long Will Alpe d'Huez Take Me? Climb Times by Watts per Kilo
Every rider who has watched the Tour wonders the same thing: how long would Alpe d'Huez take me? The answer depends mostly on one number, your power-to-weight ratio in watts per kilo (W/kg). Here's how to work it out, with real numbers.
The climb
From Bourg d'Oisans, Alpe d'Huez climbs 13.8 km at an average of 8.1%, with 21 hairpin bends and about 1,100 m of elevation gain. At that gradient, gravity is by far the biggest thing you're fighting: around 90% of your effort goes into lifting you and your bike, with only a little lost to rolling resistance and air.
Estimated times by watts per kilo
We ran the numbers through our climb time estimator for a 72 kg rider on a 9 kg bike, riding on the hoods with no wind:
| W/kg | Average power | Time | Average speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | 144 W | 1:51 | 7.4 km/h |
| 2.5 | 180 W | 1:30 | 9.2 km/h |
| 3.0 | 216 W | 1:15 | 11.0 km/h |
| 3.5 | 252 W | 1:05 | 12.7 km/h |
| 4.0 | 288 W | 0:58 | 14.4 km/h |
| 5.0 | 360 W | 0:47 | 17.6 km/h |
For context, a fit club rider holds somewhere around 2.5 to 3.5 W/kg for an hour. Breaking the hour on the Alpe takes roughly 4 W/kg, which is serious amateur territory. The pros at the end of a Tour stage are closer to 6 W/kg.
What about Mont Ventoux?
From Bédoin, Ventoux is 21.1 km at 7.5%. The same 72 kg rider at 3 W/kg would take about 1 hour 48 minutes, or about 2 hours 8 minutes at 2.5 W/kg. It's longer, and the exposed top section is often windy, so pace yourself.
How to get your own estimate
- Open the climb time estimator and tap a famous climb, or enter any climb's length and gradient.
- Enter your weight, your bike's weight and the average power you can hold for that long. Don't have a power meter? Use "Find my power" with a time from Strava for a climb you know, then try that power on the big one.
- Open "Position, surface and wind" if you want to factor in a headwind or rough roads.
Three ways to go faster uphill
- Pace it evenly. Starting 20% too hard on the first ramps costs far more time later than it saves.
- Get the gearing right. If you're grinding below 70 rpm, you'll tire sooner. Our gear calculator shows which gear you need to hold a comfortable cadence.
- Weight matters, but less than you think. At 216 W, each kilo you lose saves about 50 seconds on the Alpe. Fitness is worth much more.
Planning a trip with your club? Turn up in matching kit: our Kit Designer lets you design it in minutes, and customization is free on every order.
