A graded climb is an uphill section of bicycle racing that is graded according to how difficult it is. The grading considers how long the climb is, how steep on average, and when in the race.
The climbs are graded from 4 (the easiest) down to 1 (the hardest). There is an extra grade named Hors Catégorie (HC), short for “beyond classification” in French. The system began in the Tour de France. It assists in determining how difficult a climb is and awards points for the King of the Mountains competition. A Category 4 climb can be short but steep, whereas Category 1 or HC is longer and steep, usually later in difficult stages. The judges have some discretion regarding the grading depending on what shape the riders are in when they arrive at the climb. The first riders over the summit receive bonus points for the climber’s jersey. These graded climbs can be used for hilly training sessions for endurance cyclists and triathletes for testing their climbing ability.
