Mountain T-Shirts Collection - The Giants of Cycling
The new Mountain t-shirt collection pays tribute to the legendary mountains that define the sport of cycling — from the 21 switchbacks of Alpe d’Huez to the wind-swept summit of Mont Ventoux. Each design attempts to capture the essence of these iconic climbs in the simplest way possible.
Designed for those who conquered them and admirers alike, this collection celebrates the landscapes and emotions that make mountain stages the true heart of the sport.
In this piece, we’ll journey through each mountain featured in the collection and share something interesting you might not know about it.
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux, often described as “The Giant of Provence,” is easily one of the most iconic climbs in cycling. Rising to 1,909 meters in southern France, it’s famous for its long, exposed ascent and lunar-like summit (see below for the reason behind this). The climb features in the Tour de France regularly and is renowned for its brutal gradients, unpredictable winds, and dramatic scenery — shifting from forested lower slopes to a stark, rocky peak. It’s such a brutal climb that even Tom Simpson, one of the sport’s great icons, tragically lost his life ascending it during the 1967 Tour de France.
Did you know? By the 19th century, overgrazing, logging, and charcoal production had left Mont Ventoux almost barren, with erosion threatening nearby farms and villages. In response, French authorities launched one of Europe’s first large-scale reforestation projects in the late 1800s, planting millions of cedars, pines, and oaks by hand. The result is today’s forêt domaniale du Mont Ventoux — a 150-year-old man-made forest that restored and preserved the mountain’s ecosystem, while the summit remains strikingly bare and rocky, giving Ventoux its iconic “lunar” appearance.
- Location: Provence, France
- Elevation: 1,912m
- Total climb: ~21 km from Bédoin (most famous route)
- Average gradient: 7.5%
- Maximum gradient: 11–12%
- Elevation gain: ~1,610 m
- Fastest time: Tadej Pogačar 53:47 (2025 form Bedoin)
Alpe d'Huez
Alpe d’Huez is one of cycling’s most legendary climbs, known for its 21 iconic hairpin bends and thrilling Tour de France finishes (most recently with Tom Pidcock). Located in the French Alps, the 13.8 km ascent rises 1,071 meters with an average gradient of 8.1%-Ouch.
Did you know? The 21 hairpins were not part of the original design. The road from Bourg-d’Oisans to Huez village was first carved into the mountainside in the 1930s, primarily to provide access to the ski area. It wasn’t engineered with cycling in mind — the turns were simply placed where the terrain allowed. This means the bends are unevenly spaced (some only 200 m apart, others more than 600 m).
The gradients also vary sharply: between 7% and 11% from one bend to the next.
That variation is part of what makes the climb so punishing — it constantly changes rhythm.
- Location: Huez, Isère, France (French Alps)
- Elevation: 1,860m
- Total climb: 13.8 km from Bourg-d’Oisans (most famous route)
- Average gradient: 8.1%
- Maximum gradient: ~10.5%
- Elevation gain: ~1,071 m
- Fastest time: Jack Burke 35:56
Passo Dello Stelvio
Passo dello Stelvio, or the Stelvio Pass, is one of the most spectacular and demanding climbs in all of cycling. Located in the Italian Alps, it rises to 2,758 meters, making it one of Europe’s highest paved mountain passes. Famous for its 48 hairpin turns on the northern side, the Stelvio offers stunning alpine scenery, relentless gradients, and a sense of epic adventure. It’s a centerpiece of the Giro d’Italia and a bucket list for endurance cyclists and climbers alike!
Did you know the Passo dello Stelvio was originally built in 1820–1825 by the Austrian Empire to connect Lombardy (then under Austrian rule) with the rest of Austria — long before bicycles even existed! Despite its age, the road’s original route and 48 northern hairpins remain almost unchanged, making it both a historic engineering marvel and one of the most thrilling climbs in modern cycling. Thank god for imperialism!
- Location: Eastern Alps, Italy (between South Tyrol and Lombardy)
- Elevation: 2,758m
- Total climb: 24.3 km from Prato allo Stelvio (most famous route)
- Average gradient: 7.4%
- Maximum gradient: ~11%
- Elevation gain: ~1,808 m
- Fastest time: Jack Burke 1:08:32
Shop Passo Dello Stelvio T-Shirt
Col Du Tourmalet
The Col du Tourmalet is one of the most legendary and frequently used climbs in the Tour de France. Located in the French Pyrenees, it rises to 2,115 meters and challenges riders with long, steep gradients and breathtaking mountain scenery.
Did you know it was first included in the 1910 Tour de France, race organizer Henri Desgrange sent journalist Alphonse Steinès to check if the road was even passable. Steinès got lost in the snow, fell into a ravine, and had to be rescued at night. Despite this ordeal, he famously telegraphed back:
“Crossed Tourmalet. Very good road. Perfectly practicable.”
That optimistic message convinced Desgrange to include the climb making the Tourmalet the first high-mountain pass ever used in the Tour de France and setting the stage for the race’s legendary mountain battles.
- Location: French Pyrenees, Hautes-Pyrénées, France
- Elevation: 2,115 m
- Total climb: 17.1 km from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan (classic eastern route)
- Average gradient: 7.4%
- Maximum gradient: ~10.2%
- Elevation gain: ~1,268 m
- Fastest time: Thibaut Pinot – 51:13
