Looking for a great week of riding your bike in the French alps? Here’s my suggestion:
Go to Saint Jean de Maurienne. This nice village is located in the Maurienne, the valley of the River Arc.
From here you are surrounded by the most epic cols cycling (and of cours le tour de france has ever seen) and it is just perfect for a week full of high altitude cycling. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a training camp in between the season or just wanna enjoy cycling in your holiday.
Of course, best season for high altitude cycling in europe is summer, so chances are low to experience bad weather above 2000m.
It is situated very central, the facilities are clean and it offers everything a true cyclist needs.
If you are not so much into camping, you can of course stay in one of saint jean de maurienne hotels, for Example: Hotel du Nord** (http://www.hoteldunord.net/) which is located in the heart of saint jean. I have just been there once for dinner, and it was magnificent, especially the variety of cheese you get at the end is marvellous. The rates in summer are very fair and if you just think of the great meal you’ll get with Half Board, you have to consider the sleeping as a cheap matter.
I’ve just been told by good friends that the accommodation is just perfect for hungry athletes.
Back to Cycling:
Day 1:
On the first day I chose famous col de Cole de la Croix de Fer (2067 m).
It was 18x part of the tour de france until 2016.
I took the road Saint-Etienne-de-Cuines, so you will first stop by at Col du Glandon which is a little bit below (1924 m). Then took the downhill via Saint-Jean-d’Arves back to the starting Point.
Total KM 76,94 km - altitude difference 2.071m
In the afternoon It was time for Col du Chaussy.
Total KM 42,98 km – altitude difference: 1271 m
Day 2:
On of the hardest days of the week. The owner of the camping place thought that I am crazy riding Col de ’Iseran from Saint Jean, when I told him in the evening the day before.
You cannot get higher with a road bike than Col de L’iseran, with an total altitude of 2764 m, it is slightly higher than Stelvio and the highest pass of the alps..
I have to admit that it is a little bit boring to ride the main road from Saint-Jean to the beginning of the mountain road, but hey it is cycling so deal with it.
Total KM: 176,20kkm - altitude difference: 2.623m
Day 3
After all the efforts on the day before. I choose an easy ride for that day. Col Du Galibier via Col du Télégraphe (1566 m) . I have to admit, that I didn’t want to ride the main road to Saint-Michel-de Maurienne again (lots of traffic) so I went this route by car.
After Col du Telegraphe you have to take the downhill to Valloire (worth a coffee stop!) then just take the road forward on top of Galibier (weather can change quickly, so better take a small jacket with you)
70km – altitude difference 2.155m
 |
| Col du Galibier |
Day 4
Col de Madeleine via la chamber
Col de Madeleine is not the most when it comes to altitude, but be sure it is a long long way up there.
63,76 km – altitude difference: 1.629m
La toussuire -
This ski resort is quite a must for every cyclist, although the street is very bumpy up there and compared to the days before it has nothing to offer except a great view. Nevertheless it is quite often the finish of a tour de france stage
Day 5
This should be this week’s queen stage. If you ever go to france as a cyclist, L'Alpe d'huez has to be part of your journey, even if it is one of the ugliest ski resorts I Have ever seen so far.
.L’Alpe d’Huez is located in the Département Isère. So I had to ride once again Col du Glandon, then take the downhill to Le Bourg d'Oisans (worth a coffee stop, lots of cyclist and nice boulangeries) and ride all the way up to L’Alpe H’uez. To be honest, I am not quite a fan of it, but every slope, every corner up this magical village has so much history like the dutch corner or corner 21 dedicated to Fasto Coppi. I rode back via Villard-Reculas – Lac du Verney-Cole de la Croix de Fer.
Total KM: 163,2km altitude difference: over 4.335m
