At 33km long, the road to Val Thorens is one of the longest climbs ever featured in the Tour de France. But it can get even harder! We pushed past the 2019 Tour de France stage finish in line to the actual mountain summit, a further 8km up the road on steep gravel. Is this the hardest cycling climb in France the Tour will never visit?
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Considering he was keeping* up with a legend on an ebike most of the way Si is seriously a beast! 👍🏻🔥🔥🔥🚴♀️🚴🏻♀️
Serious effort!
@@gcn Total BEAST Si. You are an inspiration!
I love this effort Simon
Congratulations, you have just defined the GCN Live Presenters Challenge!
Oh my goodness yes!
@@gcn Can't wait to see Lasty's pain face on this one
JP is SO! Enthusiastic! I wouldn't be surprised if he was actually charging the batteries for his bike himself
Whoever chooses the music for these videos has really good taste.
Too loud though
Any idea what the track is that kicks off around 2:00?
@@jameswaring2860 Shed a Little Light (Instrumental Version) - Wildflowers
Great edit and drone shots. Well done lads. Just needed Emma blasting past both of them.
On a motorbike.. maybe.
why?
Well said. Emma would love this.
Great clip, and beautiful production. Thanks!
Awesome production values, and a fun video to watch. Thank you.
This one is awesome, thank you GCN! The music is on point too!
Loving the Jeremy and si bromance 👌😂
Color grading is superb. Might just be clean air and beautiful high mountains..though. There is some kind of pop to this video though different from other gcn videos
Awesome video. Stunning ride. You guys are a joy to watch. A race to the top would be epic.
I’m enjoying these adventure rides gravel or road the most these days! Really enjoyed this one guys.
Awesome, cheers Stephen!
AWESOME, Thank you guys for an epic ride/video!
loved it guys! keep them coming!
Fun video. Love the scenery. TY!
Spectacular video shooting and great narration, *thanks guys!*
Cheers Bill!
Love it. Really like this idea about getting back to the roots. I do think there will be many more gravel sections in the future now when the gravel bikes are pretty epic.
It's such a joy to have JPow on the team! He brings his unique jubilant energy and turns this very British team on it's head with his special brand of American-ness. So much fun to watch. Thanks guys!
Cheers Geoff! We're stoked to have him on board too.
A good idea to make the channel have more of a Global feel. I love the enthusiasm! lol
what an utterly fantastic content. thank you!
Really enjoyed this! Great bit of banther with Si and Jeremy too! Will come back and do this (on the e bike!)
Nice one, let us know how you get on!
Kudos to your art director and camera operator. Superb images. Again! :-)
"you have no idea how steep this is" well you are trying to ride up a downhill ski slope
It looks like they went into the Megavalanche place with road bikes.
Epic pictures, you guys rock. When I started watching this channel it was nothing like that. Chapeaux
Thanks Lee, we've come on a bit since then!
That last bit is just..... just epic! Brutal.... well done 👍🏾👏🏽👏🏽
This is brilliant! I’ve been dying to see what’s at the end of those random gravel roads. The downhill was fascinating also. Can we have more please?
Amazing you guys. A presenting partnership tour de force. I love these two guys together.
Glad you showed us a bit of that descent, looked pretty bernerners!! Big thumbs.
Hehe, well deserved!
Loved the video, beautiful work by the team behind the scenes as well, the cinematography was really good... Awesome presentation... so much enthusiasm from both guys...loved it... beautiful work ... GCN does good job...but this was another level... beauty!!!!
Just for this one at the end you should have been "fuck yeah".. that was sick effort right at end!!!
Haha thanks so much sir!
Jeremy is my favourite by a mile an absolute gent and so much energy!
Wow, spectacular! Gravel is a whole new dimension. Mavic Gravel Elites procured - looking forward to exploring the world like you all. You've been a great inspiration. Love the dialog!
Nice one Douglas, let us know how you get on with it!
I can't watch this one enough. Wow! Jeremy is right, gravel is here to stay. Thank you for insight to cycling in the Alps
Great video! Keep up the great work.
Fantastic video guys! Jeremy and Si make a great combination!
Well-done, fellas! Enjoyed your chatter, humor and honesty about just how long and difficult this climb was. Your support crew catching some unique angles and footage deserve credit, too. I didn't notice but do these use disc brakes? Would think rim binders would warp the rims after too much pressure and heat.
Great 'presentation'. It had a true feeling of adventure. Love Jeremy's energy - infectious :)
Cheers Simon!
I’d love to see some sort of a race up insane mountains like this!!
“Do I sense weakness?? Omg if this was the tour, I would attack the crap out of you now!” 😂😂😂
hehe. If only!
If I was riding an ebike in the Tour I would attack the crap out of it, too.
Hi guys! I'm Jules from France, what an epic ride, thanks for the video! Of course it would be great to have a stage on the top of that mountain! That'd be awesome and amazing to watch on tv. Keep doing What you do! Can't wait for New vidéos! Take care
Maybe you could organize something... like a GCN Gravel ride..... in New England.... for us stateside GCN fans
This one of your best videos with beautiful scenery. I love those super hi tech bikes.
Yeah but Si was unassisted... Respect! 🤯👍🏻
Jeremy and Si presenting, great double act 😃👍🏻
guys this is so impressive. I'm thinking about a Fazua bike since a while but this again convinced me. Next year it will be the Stevens E-Getaway. Keep up the good work.
Wow, was Si hinting at GCN presenter race, live streamed? Or maybe presenter challenge from different channels/testers?!
Oh dear goodess! 😂
Just a beautiful Video! Thank you so much :)
Cheers Felix!
12:25, Si is looking like he should at the top of the beanstalk, and Jeremy shouldn’t have planted the magic beans. Giant!
Great job guys!👏🏻👊🏻💪🏻
‘Traffic is non-existent’. Hah, try driving up there on a Saturday in winter...
Ok but I probably won't be riding then...
Try riding up there on a Saturday in winter😂
The first section up to St.Martin de Belleville isn't the main road to Val Thorens so most traffic will avoid this narrow part
Congrats ! I grew up here in Val thorens and I'm still living here, riding a lot and since maybe 10 years, i'm talking about that with my bro for a real tarmak road up to the top. And I actually propose that to the Maire of the valley last year. But after meribel and courchevel did the bike path up to col de la loze, it is possible one day in the next 5 years we'll get a road to the top !!!! It's just awesome that you made a video of it.
Tour 19 2019 perfect illustration for the suggested added gravel bike to the TDF
Awesome stuff, not to mention the camera work which we all take for granted. Sometimes I'd rather climb than descend when traction looks to be a problem - intelligent handling, never let gravity get the better of you, and trustworthy brakes are essential. Great video guys.
Cheers James, it was pretty extreme!
10:36, nice save!!! wow lol. Stunning scenery.
The scenery is just amazing!!
Absolutely brilliant, loving Jeremy more and more. 👏
It could be like the three peaks challenge in the Lake District epic yearly event. Brilliant episode more please.
Beautiful camera. Really a pleasure to watch!
Thanks Monkey!
Great video boys and what a place!
Incredible job lads
Fully agree with Jeremy there, living nearby the Alps, the first thing I did when I bought my gravel bike 4 years ago, was taking her through the gravel paths in the Alps. And I realized that producers of gravel bikes didn't get it yet: the gears on a gravel are not low enough to climb steep graveled muletracks that cross our mountains.
Honestly one of the best GCN videos!! Great work team!
Glad you're stoked on it Jesse!
Wow just awesome and so well shot thanks for that GCN
Cheers Daz!
That is some awesome cycling experience. Great bike, great company and great nature.
great video. Si and Jeremy really work well together.
Good to see you both again , we met in Whistler !!! Looking forward to ride with you both in 2020 WGF World Championships …..
I think jeremy is hooked to the battery. he's got major energy. Also, i'd love to see gravel races in the altitudes like that. be AMAZING
What I really want to do rn is trying this clim, awesome video and bikes!
Great video. More like this please.
hello guys im juan from Colombia saddly i just see that video, the idea to introduce a gravel bike to the tour the france is awesome, wonderfull, just think like jeremy said the gc guys arriving to some point and taking the gravel bike to finish a mountain stage, simply epic, gcn its incredible, i enjoy a lot any chapter, great job.
awesome video and thanks to Si for going along with the prank!
I would love to see a race on a ride like that. Actually, I wouldn't mind if the Tour did one stage like this every year.
Great video, I have to admit I couldn't hear the usual drone from the ebike, I think Jeremy just told you it was on to make you feel better.
Don't do that to poor Si.
Now that was an epic ride, love it!
The energy and dynamics that Jeremy brings is contagious. Si and him are becoming a formidable double act. Great watch !
I appreciate that both Simon's chin and upper lip are really getting into the spirit of this gravel thing. Might we have a beard by the time the next bikepacking/ultra endurance video rolls round? who knows.
Pratalax 🧔🏻
That's as good as it gets.
You guys need to do a behind the scenes for one of these epic rides and dive into how the camera crew gets these great shots and all the prep behind shoots like this!
great job guys
Cool video. Skiied up there this year so unbelievable to be able to ride up to the top of that
Ah wicked!
Have you guys hired a new cinematographer or something? The quality of this is next level.
The investment from and collaboration with Eurosport is why i suspect.
When has GCN cinematography NOT been great? Thats what i mostly watch them for
they should invest in a sound guy next, the volumes are all over the place -_-
whitebear96 likely mixed for hand held devices. Levels are great on an iPad.
completely forgot about this video, nice to re watch
Great video as usual, bikes look ace. Almost tempted me into getting into gravel until I saw the decent footage! I would happily lug up an extra few kg of bigger tyres and suspension so I I could rail the decent! That is after all the treat for doing the climb! Dare I say the eMTB is the way forward here?!
Of course we would like to see a race up that !
Breathtaking!
Epic.! Because of you, I'm now starting to save for a gravel bike. Thanks really .....
Hey gcn great video as always but some of the music comes in TOO LOUD on my speakers keep having to adjust the volume
Sounds like a problem with your speakers, it was fine for me
This looks fun. Read "fun" as agonizing. I can dig it. @jpows come out for the Dirty Dozen!
Absolutely STUNNING.
I personally dont want to see the tdf in such territory. It would probably damage this precious nature.
was there friday to monday, the altitude was a killer, out of breath just walking, respect! i hear they are changing the gravel somewhat for the pro's
It would be very cool to see some one race up that.👍🏻
I know why Jeremy had the E-bike. From beginning the plan was that the "Boss" would do the journey. :)
Great video. I think Jeremy makes a great addition to the GNC team!
Thanks, so do we!
Very nice. Simon, you mentioned you like the Colle delle Finestre climb. There's a similar climb there after the Colle, up to 2700m, with an extra 8km gravel. The region is pushing to include it in a future Giro stage. Maybe GCN can be the first to show it
Ooh that sounds very exciting!
I want to ride up there! Great video guys!
It was incredible Jeff!
For a second I thought it was John in the thumbnail. That would've been cool to see!
Great video
Choosing your favourite GCN presenters is like choosing your favourite child...easy!! Si and Jer all day baby
nah mate si and olly
Nice. Going for my daily sunrise ride in a few
This climb was epic. GCN has done so many climbs and I love the entertainment of the struggle and the camaraderie! BUT I have yet to find an episode where the GCN gang have tried the "Sea to Stars" climb on the Big Island of Hawaii? Sea level to 13,796ft with gravel from 9000ft up. This Alpine climb reminded me of the Sea to Stars. Cheers.
Can you post the route or link to strava? Hard to find the way after Val Thorens. Thanks.
It would be great to have a Strava link here and on other videos.
They usually film shots from several camera angles and have to re-take sections if its not right on camera. I am sure that once the camera is off they take several breaks to make the action look good when the camera is rolling. After all they are basically making a short movie, its all about the production at the end of the day, not two guys doing a ride from end to end.
Great idea for the Tour bring it on!
They have the routes on Komoot!
They have it on Komoot: www.komoot.com/tour/81225654
I have skied Cîme de Caron. It's a tough run and a long day if you are staying in the middle valley (Méribel/Brides-les-Bains) let alone the far valley (Courchevel/La Tania).