Guides to Cycling Cols and Climbs of the Southern French Alps
The Southern French Alps offer the most incredible selection of road cycling for the real enthusiast. This area has many of the most celebrated climbs and descents in road biking history, made famous by the Tour de France. A selection of our favourites can be found below… click the titles or profiles for a full description of each col.
Our homes from home in the picturesque alpine villages of La Grave and Le Bourg d’Oisans are ideally placed to access the many iconic routes and climbs located in the region.
We run ‘Classic’ fully supported breaks and more independent ‘Lite’ cycling weekends; on either of these we’re there to support your trip and provide advice and guidance on which climbs to tackle, and how best to incorporate them into various lengths of rides. We have an extensive set of full route guides and GPS tracks available for all guests to use over the course of their stays.
If you have any questions about any of these climbs, routes incorporating them or anything else related to a short break cycling the roads of the Southern French Alps, don’t hesitate to contact us for more details.
Southern French Alps – routes, climbs and col profile information
Col du Galibier
from St Michel de Maurienne
Length : 34.9km
Avg grade : 5.5%
Max grade : 12%
Col du Télégraphe
from St Michel Maurienne
Length : 11.8km
Avg grade : 7.3%
Max grade : 11%
Alpe d’Huez
from Bourg d’Oisans
Length : 13.2km
Avg grade : 8.1%
Max grade : 13%
Col de la Croix de Fer
from St Jean de Maurienne
Length : 30km
Avg grade : 5.1%
Max grade : 9.5%
Col du Glandon
from La Chambre
Length : 21.3km
Avg grade : 6.9%
Max grade : 12%
Col du Glandon
from Barrage du Verney
Length : 24.1km
Avg grade : 4.8%
Max grade : 11%
Col d’Izoard
from Briançon
Length : 19km
Avg grade : 5.8%
Max grade : 9%
Col d’Izoard
from Guillestre
Length : 15.9km
Avg grade : 6.9%
Max grade : 12%
Fancy riding some of these amazing climbs and cols?
Just email us at info@bikeweekender.com , call us on +44 (0) 845 557 5983 or