A categorized climb is a segment of a cycling route that is graded based on its difficulty. These climbs are classified into categories, such as 1 to 4 or HC (Hors Catégorie), to indicate their level of challenge. HC being the hardest and 4 being the easiest. The harder the climb, the more points you get if you go across it first. – Basti
Most of the Tour’s major ascents are ranked according to certain guidelines, though it’s not all set in stone. In decreasing order of difficulty, official climbs are rated 1, 2, 3, and 4, though the toughest climbs are considered “beyond category” (see: hors catégorie).
