Ha Giang vs. the Alps: Why Vietnam’s Toughest Route Rivals Europe’s Best Mountain Cycling
You’ve done the classics. Alpe d’Huez with its 21 hairpins. The Stelvio’s endless switchbacks. Mont Ventoux’s lunar summit. Maybe the Mortirolo, maybe the Angliru, maybe Sa Calobra on Mallorca.
You know what mountain cycling feels like in Europe. The suffering on perfect tarmac. The organized chaos of cyclists and support vehicles. The espressos at cafes with views of peaks you just surmounted.
And now someone is telling you that the best mountain cycling experience might be in northern Vietnam.
I know. It sounds improbable. But hear me out.