The final section of the Route du Hautacam is by far the hardest part. The light rolling roads of the Gers where this adventure once started are gone and forgotten. From Ayros-Arbouix it is a 13.6 km long climb to the ski resort town of Hautacam (1520 m) with an average gradient of 7.8%. The middle part of the climb, starting in the hamlet of Saint-André, is relentless with gradients of 10.3% and even 11.3%. From here on things will get a little better, although there’s still a long way to go. Keep reaching for the top and get yourself a well-deserved reward by completing the challenge of the Route du Hautacam. The climb to the ski resort of Hautacam featured five times in the Tour de France: in 1994, 1996, 2000, 2008 and 2014. The fifth winner, in 2014, was Vincenzo Nibali (Italy). Thibaut Pinot came second at 1.10, Rafal Majka finished third at 1.12