While not so grand as the author's victory, my bi-weekly commute path takes me up Jones Hill Road. This little bump is exactly like what the author described - 15% gradient over 3/4 of a mile. Tiny I know, nothing compared to what a racer will do, but for a commuter like me - DEATH. I applaud people who can ascend courses like that - cause i typically crap out after 500 feet.

Now as for going down that hill on the way to work - DEATH. I've burned out 2 sets of brakes, exceeded 50 mph every single time I take it. Bikes just ain't built for 50 mph, humans aren't built to survive a fall off a bike going 50 mph.

Eigen, you sell yourself short. Many people, even serious cyclists, don't realize the extent to which the dificulty of a climb is more a function of the gradient than the length of the climb. 3/4 mile at 15% is a bear of a climb for ANYONE. Two of the climbs that I do regularly are as follows:

Flagstaff Road: 5.2 miles, 2150 feet elevation gain; the last two miles have a gradient of 10%, with a stretch of about 1/2 mile at 14%.

Ward: 18 miles, 3800 feet elevation gain, the worst stretch (near the end, alas) is 10%, but overall just 4% average gradient.

The Ward ride, despite being more than 3 times as long and almost double the elevation gain, is MUCH easier.

Of course, also a factor is how much riding comes before the climb. I bet the author would have had a much easier time of it if he hadn't already cycled many miles and done a significant climb before the L'Alpe.