![panoramic view shows road winding through hills and valley below, snow-capped mountains in background]( "Cycling Col du Galibier from Col du Lautaret")
Cycling Col du Galibier from Col du Lautaret
Ride 8.6 kilometers gaining 569 meters at 6.7% average grade.
![]( "Cycling Col du Galibier from Col du Lautaret")
This is the southern approach to Col du Galibier.
A longer route is from Briancon and overlaps Col du Lautaret (route).
This is one of three common routes to Col du Galibier:
- From Valloire (most popular: climbed 132,214 times by 82,738 Strava members as of 9-14-23);
- From Villar-D’arene (26,591 attempts by 19,623 Strava members); and
- From from Lautaret: 89,721 attempts by 57,284. .
Col du Galibier is part of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a tourist itinerary that begins in Thonon-les-Bains and travels over many of the most spectacular passes in France and Europe, including Col de L’Iseran, Galibier, d’Izoard, and Bonette; (alternate route includes Croix de Fer and Madeleine). The route connects Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea.
![Cycling Cime Bonette from Jausiers, France - Route des Grands Alpes map]( "Cycling Cime Bonette from Jausiers, France")
Route des Grandes Alpes.
![]( "Col d’Izoard Guillestre")
Bartali handing Coppi a water bottle on the Galibier in the 1952 TdF . . . or is it
Coppi sending it back to Bartali? The debate rages.
Photo: iconicphotos.com
Haute Route quotes Henri Desgrange in his praise of this climb:
“The Galibier became a legend at the very first time it was used by the Tour de France, in 1911. This is how Henri Desgrange, creator of the Tour de France, introduced it to his readers: “Oh ! Sappey ! Oh ! Laffrey ! Oh ! Col Bayard ! Oh ! Tourmalet ! I will not fail in my duty in proclaiming that next to the Galibier you are as weak as dishwater: before this giant there’s nothing one can do but doff one’s hat and bow down low.” - Henri Desgrange (translation Marvin Faure)” (Hauteroute.org - Col du Galibier).
When first crossed in 1911 by the Tour de France, no tour rider had ever ridden higher.
![photo collage shows views in and around Col du Lautaret, wildflowers, grand alps, ski chalet-style buildings, signs for Col du Galibier, Valloire, St. Michel de Mne]( "Cycling Col du Galibier from Col du Lautaret")
In and around Col du Lautaret.
Briancon to Lautaret: 24.7 kilometers gaining 718 meters at 2.8% average grade.
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The route from Briancon to Col du Galibier is really a combination of two climbs: Briancon to Col du Lautaret, and Col du Lautaret to Col du Galibier. There is one 400-meter avalanche tunnel between Briancon and Col du Lautaret, but it is open on one side and does not create a hazard for cyclists, although there is no significant bike lane through it.
![photo collage shows bike parked at various points along the route, grand alps in distance, street signs for Col du Lautaret]( "Cycling Col du Galibier from Col du Lautaret")
![view looking back toward Col du Lautaret partway up Col du Galibier; bike parked next to signs for Sommet of Col du Galibier]( "Cycling Col du Galibier from Col du Lautaret")
View back to Col du Lautaret from 600 meters up Col du Galibier.
![photo collage shows bike parked near different Summit signs along the way, grand alps, green grass along hillsides and valley below]( "Cycling Col du Galibier from Col du Lautaret")
It is 8.7 kilometers and 583 meters at 6.9% from Col du Lautaret to Col du Galibier.
As with all routes to Col du Galibier, the scenery along the way is simply stunning.
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The monument in honor and to the memory of Henri Desgrange is one kilometer from the top.
The bubble is PJAMM experimenting with 3D photography.
Henri Desgrange and Géo Lefèvre created the Tour de France in 1903 and Desgrange was tour director from the beginning until WWII prevented the tour from occurring in 1940. Desgrange died in 1940 and was succeeded by Jacque Goddet as director (1947 to 1986; co-director with Felix Levitan from 1962 to 1986). The memorial was inaugurated when the tour passed on 19 July 1949. Whenever the tour crosses the Col du Galibier, a wreath is laid on the memorial. The "Souvenir Henri Desgrange" is awarded to the first rider across the summit of the highest mountain in each year's tour (Wikipedia).
![photo collage shows entrance to tunnel (refuge du Galibier), one kilometer from climb finish]( "Cycling Col du Galibier from Col du Lautaret")
The old tunnel is one kilometer from the top.
![views of grand alps looking back toward Col du Lautaret near the finish of the climb; road can be seen in distance]( "Cycling Col du Galibier from Col du Lautaret")
Views back toward Col du Lautaret near the top of the climb.
![Cycling Col du Galibier from Valloire: photo collage shows road signs, kilometer marker signs, and views at climb's finish]()
Col du Galibier
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Aerial view south of the final approach to Col du Galibier from Lautaret and Briancon.
![Cycling Col du Galibier from Valloire: photo collage shows lookout point and vista views just passed climb finish]()
Hike about 50 meters up the mountain from the Col parking lot for spectacular views.
TOUR DE FRANCE
TOP 10 MOST FREQUENT CLIMBS OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE
AND 10 FAMOUS ONES AFTER THAT
As of 2022, Col du Galibier has been featured in more TdFs than all but four other climbs.
© PJAMMCycing.com
![Cycling Col du Telegraphe and Col du Galibier - John Johnson and PJAMM with bike at Col du Telegraphe.]( "Col du Galibier - Andy Schleck")
Andy Schleck, Stage 18 of the 2011 Tour de France.
Col du Galibier - highest mountain top finish ever
Photo: roadbikereview.com
Col du Galibier has been featured in the Tour de France 35 times since its first post-WWII appearance in 1947, which was the first TdF since 1940 due to WWII. Most recently (as of 2020) Galibier was featured in The Tour in 2019 (Nairo Quintana won the stage from Embrun to Valloire). In 2017 debutante Primoz Roglic became the first Slovenian to win a TdF stage when he came out on top in Stage 17 from La Mure to Serre-Chevalier.
![Cycling Col du Telegraphe and Col du Galibier - John Johnson and PJAMM with bike at Col du Telegraphe.]( "ol du Galibier - Primoz Roglic")
Primoz Roglic: Stage 17 Tour de France
First Slovenian to win a TdF stage.
Photo: Cyclingtips.com
Of Galibier and the Tour de France, Wikipedia writes:
The Col du Galibier was first used in the Tour de France in 1911; the first rider over the summit was Emile Georget, who, with Paul Duboc and Gustave Garrigou were the only riders not to walk.
![]( "ol du Galibier - Emile Georget")
Emile Georget, Col du Galibier, 1911
Photo: Dr. Jean-Pierre de Mondenard
The original summit was at 2556 m.; while the tunnel was closed from 1976 until 2002, the tour route went only over the pass closer to the mountain peak at 2645 m. In 2011, the Tour de France went through the tunnel for the first time during the 19th stage from Modane Valfréjus to L'Alpe d'Huez.
Since 1947, the Col de Galibier has been crossed 31 times by the Tour de France. It was scheduled to be used in 1996, but was left out at the last minute due to bad weather. As a result of snow on both the Col de l'Iseran and the Col du Galibier, the scheduled 190 km stage from Val-d'Isère to Sestriere in Italy was reduced to a 46 km sprint from Le-Monetier-les-Bains which was claimed by Bjarne Riis, resulting in him taking the yellow jersey which he retained to the finish in Paris.
In the 2008 Tour, the Col du Galibier had been crossed on 23 July in the 210 km stage 17 from Embrun to Alpe d'Huez.
The 2011 Tour climbed the Col du Galibier twice to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first appearance of the pass in the Tour de France, including the first ever summit finish, won by Andy Schleck after a 60 km solo breakaway. This was the highest ever stage finish in the Tour de France. It was scheduled to be used again in stage 20 of the 2015 Tour, but was left out nine days before the race start due to landslides in the Chambon Tunnel, situated towards the bottom of the descent of the climb.”
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