the top 20 of the best climbers in 2023

Many runners today have the potential to take their place in the top 5 of a Grand Tour. A diversity that will again this year offer us races with very open stages. However, some runners stand out and are automatically favorites in their races, like Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard ou encore d'un certain Remco Evenepoel. Younger runners, for the most experienced runners, here is a top 20 goal of the best climbers (general rankings) of the current peloton.

Special Mentions

Before starting the top 20, here are some special mentions which each have a reason for not having been included in the ranking :

John Ayuso, Carlos Rodriguez and Thymen Arensman : they are still too young despite their incredible performance in the last Vuelta. Egan Bernal : he has not yet found his best level. Nairo Quintana and Miguel Angel Lopez : they are no longer racing in Europe this season. Sergio Higuita : he has never yet proven on a Grand Tour. Alexey Lutsenko : it lacks regularity, especially on one-week races. Tao Geoghegan Hart : he unfortunately never regained his level of 2020 even if it seems to come back little by little.

20 – Damian Caruso (35 years)

2^e of the Giro d'Italia 2021 to everyone's surprise, the Italian did not have such a great season last year. It will end anyway 4^e the Criterium du Dauphiné and 6^e of the Tour de Romandie but will retire from the Tour de France, only Grand Tour he will do this season. Damiano Caruso evolves today in a team surrounded by other leaders, with the presence in particular of Jack Haig, of Pello Bilbao and even now of Santiago Buitrago. He will therefore participate in the next Giro as co-leader with the Australian.

19 – Ben O’Connor (27 years)

The Australian from 27 years which revealed itself by ending 4^e of the general of the Tour de France 2021 struggled to confirm on the Vuelta last year, where he comes to take the 8^e position in the general classification. He nevertheless took the 3^e place in the Critérium du Dauphiné and went for a stage victory in the Tour of Catalonia. He will start next July on the Tour de France, hoping to finish on the podium, even if its rolling qualities will not be favorable to it in the face of very tough competition.

18 – Jack Haig (29 years)

We know very little about the state of form of the runner from Bahrain Victorious, who finished 11^e of the Tour of Andalusia for its recovery race (since his fall on the Tour de France 2022). Before that, the Australian was the author of a very good start to the season 2022, like his 5^e place on the Critérium du Dauphiné or even its 6^e place on Paris-Nice. Will Jack Haig be able to get back to his best in time?, he who will be at the start of the next Giro ?

17 – João Almeida (24 years)

The Portuguese is one of the most consistent climbers in the peloton. He ended up in 2022, in the top 10 of all the stage races in which he participated (apart from the Giro where he had to abandon at the start of the 18^e stage for Covid-19, while 4^e of the general classification). It will eventually end 5^e Spin, behind his teammate Juan Ayuso (3^e). Just 24 years, Joao Almeida already has a lot of experience, his best result on a Grand Tour remaining for the moment his 4^e place in the Giro 2020. The UAE rider will be keen to get on his first podium in the next Tour of Italy.

16 – Daniel Philippe Martinez (26 years)

Winner of the Tour of Catalonia and 3^e from Paris-Nice last year, 5^e the atmosphere 2021 or recent winner of the Tour of the Algarve, the results are present for the Colombian. Very good roller but also good puncher, all the ingredients are there to hope to get on the podium of a Grand Tour. Daniel Felipe Martinez could well be the leader of Ineos Grenadiers during the next Grande Boucle, only lined up alongside Carlos Rodriguez at the moment.

15 – Adam Yates (30 years)

The recent 3^e of the Tour of the United Arab Emirates seems to have lived well his transfer to UAE Team. The solid British climber has already won some great stage races in his career and he only needs a Grand Tour to complete his record.. Unfortunately, it seems hard to imagine for Adam Yates, he who will be in the service of Tadej Pogacar on the roads of the next Tour de France. Nevertheless, he remains a talented runner with whom everything is possible. He will have his chance this season in the one-week stage races.

14 – Simon Yates (30 years)

Unlike his brother, already won him a Grand Tour : the turn in 2018. The Briton doesn't seem to be at his prime in recent years but he still has plenty left under his belt, from the top of his 30 years. 2^e of the Tour Down Under at the start of the season, Simon Yates will obviously have the leadership with his Jayco AlUla team during the next Grande Boucle. It remains to be seen whether he will play the general classification or the stage victories.

13 – Mikel Landa (33 years)

2 time 3^e of the Giro d'Italia, 2 time 4^e of the Tour de France, the Basque has already proven that he was very strong on the Grand Tour, and still today. Author of a good start to the season where he ends 2^e of the Tour of Andalusia behind a certain Tadej Pogacar, Mikel Landa still has good cards to play this year, even at 33 years. He will set off on the Tour de France alongside Pello Bilbao for a duo 100% Basque, with the goal of getting on the podium.

12 – David Gaudu (26 years)

The Groupama FDJ rider is not the most comfortable in timed exercises, and that's what he's missing. However, the Breton seems to improve from year to year. When well surrounded, David Gaudu knew how to prove that he was capable of finishing in the top 5 of a Grand Tour, as he did last year when he finished 4^e of the Great Loop. All that remains is to confirm it this year to climb even higher in the rankings..

11 – Pello Bilbao (33 years)

AT 33 years, the Spaniard surprisingly seems to be at his best ! Author of 6 top 5 on the 8 stage races he participated in last year, the rider from Bahrain Victorious displays exceptional regularity. Unfortunately, Pello Bilbao struggles to fight against the best climbers in the peloton and often fails at the foot of the podium. Despite that, the results remain impressive as evidenced by its two 5^e places in the general classification of the Tour of Italy.

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