Strava's Most Iconic Cycling Segments

The must-complete segments to tick off on two wheels

A few weeks ago we covered Strava’s most iconic running segments, so it’s only fair we now take a look at some of the world’s most iconic cycling segments.

Icons of the Strava segment world go hand-in-hand with icons from the cycling climb world, so don’t be surprised to see many of these famous sections of asphalt also cropping up in major world tours. 

If you’re looking to build a list of some of the best, and toughest, climbs in the world to tackle on two wheels, this is a good starting place...

Alpe d’Huez (Official), France

Fourteen kilometers of the finest pain known to cyclists. Alpe d’Huez needs little introduction. If you want to tick this segment off, here’s what’s in store: 21 hairpin bends, 1,101m of vertical gain with an average gradient of 7.9%, cyclists everywhere you look… this is a true icon of the cycling world. Marco Pantani’s 1997 ascent in 37min 35secs still stands as the fastest time, but Sepp Kuss’s 2022 climb in the Tour de France takes the segment top spot in 39:21 if your legs are feeling punchy. Most Strava cyclists choose to ride to the Vieil Alpe Checkpoint, which ends in town. You can compare yourself to the greats on the Verified Segment here: https://www.strava.com/segments/652851

Col du Tourmalet, France

Another stone-cold classic, this climb makes the grade for the following reasons: its length, its history, its height, its summit. The length is not to be underestimated--after all, how many ascents go on for 11.3 miles / 18.2km and climb up to 6,938 feet / 2,115m? Its history puts it firmly in icon status: it’s now one of the Tour de France’s most famous climbs, and its origin story in the Tour has become the stuff of legend: one of the original Tour organizers attempted to climb to the peak in snow and ice, stumbled around when the road ended after 10 miles / 16km, got lost, rescued, then sent the following via telegram: "Crossed Tourmalet stop. Very good road stop. Perfectly feasible." 

At the summit you’re greeted by the ‘Giant of Tourmalet’, a striking, iron sculpture of Octave Lapize, the first rider to cross the summit on the 1910 Tour.

Box Hill, UK

We’re taking this shorter segment rather than the entire ascent, as this includes the most famous section of the English climb (plus most riders who tackle it stop near the summit for coffee and cake, extending your segment time). Those who’ve completed it will know it’s not particularly challenging, but it is iconic, certainly as far as climbs in the south of England go. Puffing your way over those artist Richard Long’s white squiggly lines on the road is a rite of passage for every cyclist.

Sa Calobra – Coll dels Rais (Official), Mallorca

One of few climbs where you have to descend it before going up, this Mallorcan torturous climb features highlight after highlight, from passing through gigantic rocks cleaved in two to the loop-the-loop turn just prior to the summit. Your segment time will inevitably suffer from all the stops to take photos.

Hilo to Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Some people claim this is the hardest bike climb in the world. We’ll leave you to make the call, but few sea-to-summits will test your limits like this. Start on the shore in Hilo, and 42 miles / 68km later, plus a whopping 13,786 feet / 4,202m, you’ll reach the dusty, volcanic-rock-strewn summit, vowing never to do it again. You’ll also require a gravel bike, as the asphalt ends at the visitor centre but a gravel trail continues to the summit.

Pikes Peak Cycling Hill Climb - Full, Colorado 

This 6.8 mile / 11km segment covers the last section of the iconic US climb to the summit, and it’s at high altitude, topping out at 14,114 feet / 4,302m. Be warned that oxygen depletion could be an issue if you’re not acclimatized, as you’ll be huffing 40% less oxygen than at sea level. Some of the steepest sections come early on this climb, so once conquered, you can soak in the Rocky Mountains’ vistas including the very summit you’re heading towards — providing you look up every now and again from chewing the handlebars.

Koppenberg, Flanders

A leg-and-lung-destroyer, this segment may be short (0.3 miles / 0.6km) but that belies its brutal nature. The chunky cobbles and rapid rise in steepness, hitting 22% in the middle, make it an icon of the Flemish climbs, and one of the highlights of the Tour of Flanders where often only a handful of riders make it up without getting off their bike. One to seek out if you enjoy short, soul-destroying climbs that live long in the legs and memory. Best avoided if wet due to the cobbles turning into a gnarly ice rink.

Mont Ventoux: Bédoin – Mont Ventoux, France

Any segment where Tadej Pogačar is No1 on the leaderboard is going to hurt – his time of exactly 1 hour for this 13.4 mile / 21.5km climb during the 2021 Tour is almost unfathomable. But put that time to one side and concentrate on the road in front of you, as this climb is known as the ‘Beast of Provence’ for a reason: the last 3.7 miles / 6km are painful, and mentally you should prepare yourself. 

The views up to that point are largely forest-based, but once you exit the trees you’re in a dusty, rock-strewn lunar landscape, exposed to potentially strong winds, low temperatures and hovering clouds. Look out for Tom Simpson’s memorial, as that means you have just 1km left to the summit where your legs can rest.

Passo Stelvio, Italy

Don’t be put off by the distance — even though it’s 15 miles / 24km of ascent, gaining nearly 6,561 feet / 2,000m, it’s a destination climb for multiple, unforgettable reasons. Starting from the Prato side, it’s all about pacing yourself — it’s gradual at first, but the hairpins, all 48 of them, will seem never-ending towards the end, as it gets steeper and steeper. Once conquered, never forgotten.