Some climbs become famous because a great race discovers them. Holme Moss was already part of British cycling folklore when the Tour de France arrived; on 6 July 2014, the rest of the world discovered why.
Here, with Geraint Thomas prominent in the peloton, the Tour climbs its Yorkshire flank towards Derbyshire. Behind the riders lie Holmfirth, green fields and villages. Ahead is open moorland, a changing gradient and the sort of exposure that can turn a breeze in the valley into a battle near the summit.
An estimated 60,000 spectators lined the climb that Sunday, many having camped overnight. It was Glastonbury on a slope, without the bands. The crowds stretched down to Holmfirth, four miles from the top, and Thomas and Chris Froome said the experience gave them goosebumps. British cycling had watched the Tour from afar, now it was outside, waiting on a hill.
A headwind kept the race together, but Holme Moss has often been less accommodating. The Leeds Classic and Tour of Britain brought some of the world’s best riders here, discovering what generations of British racers already knew; steep roads and exposed moorland make unforgiving partners.
Its history also belongs to hill climbs. Brian Robinson, Britain’s first Tour stage winner, held the hill’s record in the early 1950s, covering just over two kilometres of the hill climb course in 6 minutes 5 seconds. Robbie Stringwell shaved off 2 seconds; later, six-times national hill climb champion Granville Sydney made the climb his own.
Across the summit, the road plunges into Longdendale through dips that compress a descending rider into the bike. Raced uphill, that southern side hosted the 1974 national hill climb championship, won by Joe Waugh in wet, windy conditions.
The Tour returns to Britain in 2027, bringing fresh roads to a worldwide audience. Holme Moss shows what can happen when a familiar local test becomes an international landmark.
