Ascent in the Tour de France

I was flipping through the channels the other night and happened on the Tour de France. It’s cycling, in case you’re unfamiliar, and it’s not the most interesting sport to watch. But when you get a sense of what these athletes are actually doing — how fast they ride, how high they climb — it’s a whole lot more impressive.

The Guardian put together a wide view of one of the major climbs, up Alpe d’Huez, to help you see. My legs are tired just thinking about it.