I looked into my crystal cycling ball that doesn't exist and I saw...

Mountains in cycling are ranked from the hardest 'HC', 1, 2, 3, 4 being the easiest.

To give you an idea, when we're talking hard mountains in pro-cycling it's the kind of climb that a car from the 90's would struggle on, yes even your classic Honda Civic*.
Over the next three days the Tour De France includes:

• 5 x HC's
• 3 x cat. 1's
• 5 x cat. 2's
• 4 x cat. 3's

All this over 502km of racing.
 
Of the riders left in the race my crystral ball predicts:

• 50 throw the toys outta the cot and train it to Paris.
• 44 weep dramatically, thumbs in mouth with blanky, the lot.
• 35 throw up on themselves or someone close to them.
• 20 black-out and wake up as born again lycra-clad Christians. Expect them on your doorstep soon.
• 17 finish but never ride again, they become doctors/lawyers/accountants like their parents told them to. Duh!
• 10, as a result of so much strain in the saddle, lose their genitals. They are never found again.
• 1 explodes.

I won't be offering odds or taking money on the above, which seems strange because what's sport without gambling these days?...oh yeah, enjoyable.

Happy viewing!




*Forgive the flimsy attempt at a car joke. I know nothing about them but tried nevertheless.