Alpe d'Huez, France - Bioracer is proud to serve as official kit sponsor of Alpe d'HuZes for the seventh consecutive year, the unique sporting event raising funds for cancer research. Every year on the first Thursday of June, 5,000 participants make their way from the valley to the top of the iconic climb by bike, on foot, or at a walk.
📸 Images: Jannemieke Termeer & Harry Kleijnen
Giving up is not an option
Since its first edition in 2006, Alpe d'HuZes has grown into the largest fundraising sporting event in the Netherlands. Under the motto "giving up is not an option," participants climb Alpe d'Huez up to six times in a single day by bike, on foot, or at a walk. They set off from the valley and tackle bend after bend on one of the most iconic climbs in professional cycling.
The mission is straightforward. Through sport, money is raised for cancer research. All proceeds go to the Alpe d'HuZes/KWF Fund, supporting scientific research into cancer and projects that improve the quality of life for people living with the disease. Since 2006, more than €245 million has been raised, funding hundreds of cancer research projects.
€25,020,619
Alpe d'HuZes 2026
The twentieth edition was a record-breaking one. Together, participants, volunteers, donors, and sponsors raised a preliminary total of €25,020,619. A result that shows just how powerful the combination of sport, solidarity, and personal stories can be.
Behind that number are thousands of individual efforts. Participants set up fundraising pages, share their stories, organise sponsorship drives, and gather support from family, friends, colleagues, and local businesses. Every donation works towards the same goal. Every euro pushes research forward.
"Every pedal stroke up there feels like more than just forward motion. For many participants, it is a step closer to someone they are fighting for, or someone they want to honour. Everyone is there for each other, strangers become friends on the mountain, and you feel it everywhere. People cheer each other on, or fall into each other's arms. The fact that our kit gets to carry all of those stories to the top is what makes this partnership so special to Bioracer."
Milan Vossen - Event Manager at Bioracer
A kit that carries more than a rider
As official kit sponsor, Bioracer once again supplied the official Alpe d'HuZes participant jersey. But this is more than a piece of sportswear. It is a visible symbol of support. On the back of the jersey, there is space for sixteen sponsor logos, meaning participants literally carry their supporters up the mountain with them.
For many, that jersey is an important part of their story. It shows who is backing them, why they are riding, running, or walking, and whose names they carry through every climb. On the mountain, the jersey becomes a carrier of memories and motivation, and more than the occasional tear.
Alpe d'HuZes
On Thursday, the first climb began in complete darkness at 4:30 in the morning. Along the route, 12,000 candles were burning, 500 banners were hanging, and supporters were out before dawn to cheer riders on. Participants had until 20:00 to complete their climbs, up to six ascents in a single day. A day of effort, emotion, and everything in between.
Alpe d'HuZus
Alongside the main event, there is also Alpe d'HuZus, the sister event held on the Wednesday before the main Thursday ride. It is organised specifically for the volunteers who give their time throughout race week, giving them the chance to take on the climb themselves by bike, on foot, or at a walk. On this day, the roles are reversed and the Alpe d'HuZes participants line the route to cheer the volunteers on.
The climb itself
21 hairpin bends
The 21 hairpin bends are numbered in descending order, starting at 21 in Bourg-d'Oisans and ending at 1 near the summit. Each bend carries the name of a Tour de France stage winner, with hairpin 7 known worldwide as Dutch Corner.
13.8 km
From the start in Bourg-d'Oisans to the finish at Alpe d'Huez, the route covers 13.8 kilometres.
8.1% average gradient
The climb averages 8.1 percent over 13.8 kilometres, with the steepest ramps hitting close to 15 percent. The opening kilometres out of Bourg-d'Oisans are among the hardest, averaging between 8 and 9 percent before the first hairpin.
1,100 metres of elevation
The start in Bourg-d'Oisans sits at 744 metres above sea level, with the finish at Alpe d'Huez at 1,860 metres. That is 1,116 metres of vertical gain across a single ascent.
The 21 hairpin bends are numbered in descending order, starting at 21 in Bourg-d'Oisans and ending at 1 near the summit. Each bend carries the name of a Tour de France stage winner, with hairpin 7 known worldwide as Dutch Corner.
From the start in Bourg-d'Oisans to the finish at Alpe d'Huez, the route covers 13.8 kilometres.
The climb averages 8.1 percent over 13.8 kilometres, with the steepest ramps hitting close to 15 percent. The opening kilometres out of Bourg-d'Oisans are among the hardest, averaging between 8 and 9 percent before the first hairpin.
The start in Bourg-d'Oisans sits at 744 metres above sea level, with the finish at Alpe d'Huez at 1,860 metres. That is 1,116 metres of vertical gain across a single ascent.
But during Alpe d'HuZes, that same mountain takes on a different meaning entirely. It is no longer about winning or chasing records. It is about stories filled with memories and hope. Every bend is one closer to the top. Every pedal stroke brings participants a little closer to the people they are riding for. That is what makes Alpe d'HuZes so powerful.
And while we are still carrying the energy of this year’s edition, we are already looking ahead to the next one. On Thursday 3 June 2027, Alpe d’Huez will once again become the mountain of Alpe d’HuZes. A place where thousands of participants come together to climb with a purpose, to honour loved ones and share stories. All to raise funds for cancer research.