Mountains

The mountains of Europe represent different things for different people. For the locals they are a way of life; for visitors they represent breathtaking beauty, active holidays, and moments of contemplation. For cyclists, however, these dramatic landscapes represent suffering, agony—and glory. For over a century, from the Ardennes to the Alps, mountains have provided a setting for the world’s great cycling contests, where determination and willpower triumph over terrain and altitude.

Cycling makes us more active and takes us down less-traveled roads, and the mountains of Europe are becoming the primary destination for amateur riders who want to challenge themselves, experience fabled routes, and escape their everyday lives. Featuring over fifteen new cycling climbs from across Europe, this revised and expanded edition of Michael Blann’s beautiful publication is aimed at all those who are inspired by the challenge of mountain riding.

With tributes, personal recollections from leading road cyclists, and a range of new climbs in the Alps and elsewhere, this richly illustrated guide to some of the world’s finest climbs will inspire awe and wonder in anyone who wishes to confront the power of the mountains.