Series description
Mountain Roads is a series of photopolymer etchings of iconic European mountain roads. This ongoing project aims to document the greatest cycling roads spanning the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Dolomites, the Picos and the Spanish Islands. It celebrates the permanence of mountains and the feats of engineering and construction required to navigate and build a route through and over these formidable climbs.
Biography
Michael Blann is a London-based photographer with a passion for landscapes and mountains. When he’s not shooting commercial work, he can be found somewhere on a mountain searching for a new vista to photograph. He is the author of Mountains: Epic Cycling Climbs.
Cap de Formentor, Majorca, Spain
Cap de Formentor climbs to the lighthouse on the island of Majorca.
© Michael Blann, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional Competition, Landscape, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Col Agnel, France
Two cyclists climb the Col Agnel, which spans the border between France and Italy in the southern Alps.
© Michael Blann, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional Competition, Landscape, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Col de Peyresourde, France
The Col de Peyresourde dissects the rolling pastures high in the Pyrenees.
© Michael Blann, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional Competition, Landscape, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Col du Tourmalet, France
The first mountain climb ever traversed by the Tour de France has earned its mythical status as one of the hardest cycling climbs.
© Michael Blann, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional Competition, Landscape, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Colle delle Finestre, Italy
The unpaved road of the Colle delle Finestre running through the southern alps.
© Michael Blann, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional Competition, Landscape, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Masca, Tenerife, Spain
Masca is a wild tropical climb on the island of Tenerife.
© Michael Blann, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional Competition, Landscape, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards
Passo Pordoi, Italy
The black road snakes through the snow on the Passo Pordoi in the heart of the Italian Dolomites.
© Michael Blann, United Kingdom, Finalist, Professional Competition, Landscape, 2026 Sony World Photography Awards