21.2
PDI
24.9 mi
DISTANCE
4,853 ft
GAINED
3.7 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
INTRO
The Colle del Sestriere links the Val Chisone and the Val di Susa at 2035 m (6675 ft), and this eastern approach is the long way up: 40.0 km (24.9 mi) from Dubbione, near Pinasca, gaining 1479 m (4853 ft) at an average of just 3.7%. The road climbs the full length of the Val Chisone, through Perosa Argentina, Roure, Fenestrelle, Usseaux and Pragelato, before the final ramps into the resort.
Don't be fooled by the average. Long stretches of valley road at 2% to 3% alternate with two genuine climbs: the ramp from Fenestrelle up past Usseaux, which includes 2 km (1.2 mi) at 7.4%, and the final 8 km (5.0 mi) from Pragelato to the pass at 5.6%. Pacing the valley is the whole game - riders who go hard early pay for it in the last half hour.
Sestriere is one of the great finish towns of the Alps. Claudio Chiappucci ended his famous 1992 Tour de France raid here, winning alone after about 125 km out front on the 254.5 km stage from Saint-Gervais, and Bjarne Riis won here in 1996 on a stage cut to 46 km by bad weather, taking the yellow jersey. Along the way this road also passes the turnoff at Pourrières for the Colle delle Finestre and the gravel Strada dell'Assietta.
PLAN YOUR ROUTE
We've partnered with Sherpa-Map.com to bring you the best route planning tool. With a PRO Membership you can use this climb as a reference when creating your route. Our route covers 40.0 km (24.9 mi) from 558 m (1831 ft) in Dubbione to 2035 m (6675 ft) at the pass, a gain of 1479 m (4853 ft) at 3.7% on average.
The first 10 km (6.2 mi), through Perosa Argentina and up past Roure, average just 2.9%. The grade firms up to 4.6% for the next 4 km (2.5 mi) toward Mentoulles, then eases to 2.2% on the run into Fenestrelle. Above Fenestrelle comes the first real climb: from km 18 to km 22 the road rises at 6.0% past Laux and Fraisse, peaking at 7.4% over 2 km (1.2 mi).
Past the Pourrières turnoff the road flattens again, averaging 2.3% for 10 km (6.2 mi) through Pragelato. The last 8 km (5.0 mi) from Granges climb at 5.6%, and the final 5 km (3.1 mi) average 6.2% through Borgata into Sestriere.
The steepest 0.25 mi (0.4 km) averages 12.1%, the steepest 0.5 km (0.3 mi) 10.1%, the steepest 1 km (0.6 mi) 9.2%, the steepest mile (1.6 km) 8.6%, the steepest 2 km (1.2 mi) 7.5%, the steepest 5 km (3.1 mi) 6.3% and the steepest 10 km (6.2 mi) 5.1%.
Roadway: The whole route follows the main Colle del Sestriere road, the SR 23 up the valley and SP 23 above Fenestrelle, a paved two-lane road from start to finish. It runs straight through Perosa Argentina and Fenestrelle, so watch for junctions, crossings and parked cars in town.
Traffic: This is the main road up the Val Chisone to a ski resort, so expect steady traffic, heaviest on weekends and in the ski season. The lower valley around Perosa Argentina is the busiest part; above Pragelato it thins out outside peak times, and early mornings are the quietest time to ride.
Parking: Dubbione is a small roadside village with little room to park. Perosa Argentina, about 3 km (1.9 mi) up the road, is the valley's main town and a more practical place to leave a car. Riders who want to skip the long valley approach can start in Fenestrelle instead, leaving about 22 km (13.7 mi) and 918 m (3012 ft) of climbing to the pass.
Gear: Gradients rarely exceed 7% for more than a few hundred meters, so standard road gearing works. What matters is the distance: 40 km (24.9 mi) of climbing that ends above 2000 m.
Provisions: Perosa Argentina, Fenestrelle and Pragelato all have bars and shops right on the route, so resupplying is easy until the last 8 km (5.0 mi). Sestriere can be cold and windy even in summer, and the ride back down the valley is long and fast, so carry a jacket and full-finger gloves.
Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
Make time for Usseaux, just above the road between Fenestrelle and Pragelato. It is one of the Borghi più belli d'Italia, with more than 40 murals on its houses, stables and fountains, a restored 18th-century water mill, the Mulino Canton, that still works, and the hamlet of Balboutet with more than 20 sundials. Laux, another of its hamlets, sits beside a small larch-ringed lake.
Pourrières, also part of Usseaux, is the gateway to two famous gravel roads: the Colle delle Finestre and the Strada dell'Assietta, which runs along the ridges between the Val Chisone and the Val di Susa to Sestriere. The Assietta is generally open from July through October, and in July and August it is closed to motor vehicles on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9:00 to 17:00. Its namesake col was the site of the 1747 Battle of the Assietta, where Piedmontese troops defeated a much larger French army.
For a rest day, the Val Germanasca branches off at Perosa Argentina toward Prali, where the ScopriMiniera tour takes a miners' train through about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) of old talc galleries (closed December through February). Pramollo climbs from just down the valley, and our Routes in the Area tool shows the other climbs around Pinerolo and the Val Chisone.
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