Briancon, France

Briancon is in France’s Isère department and has been a starting or finish point for the Tour de France, reflecting its strategic importance in the race.  

Within a 50 kilometer radius, there are close to 20 well known to outright famous bike climbs, including Alpe d’Huez (most famous bike climb -- PJAMM Most Famous Bike Climbs), Col du Galibier, Col D’Izoard, Col de la Croix de Fer, Gol du Glandon and Col de la Madeleine.

ALPE D’HUEZ

Alpe d’Huez

Turn 10 after 2018 TdF Stage 12.

Photo clockwise from top left:

Start; Turn 21 (first turn); Turn 1 (last turn); finish; Turn 1 (center).

Of the hundreds of climbs we have documented for this website, Alpe d’Huez needs the least introduction -- everyone has heard of this most famous of all World Climbs!  The finish is inauspicious (other than during the TdF of course), but it is the 21 well-known switchbacks and its rich TdF history that makes this “The One”!

It’s the turns, not the finish, that makes this The Most Famous Climb in the World.

Hairpin 21 is the first hairpin on the climb and #1 is the last.  

COL DU GALIBIER

Col du Galibier.

From Briancon ride 33.4 kilometers gaining 1282 meters at 3.8% average grade.

From Valoire 17.4 kilometers gaining 1,199 meters at 6.9% average grade.

COL DU GLANDON

Lac de Grand Maison

Cycling Col du Glandon (Le Verney) - 22.5 kilometers gaining 1365 meters at 5% average grade.

Col du Glandon has been included in the Tour de France 13 times since it was first introduced in 1947.  After its inaugural year, Glandon was not included again until 1977, and has been included sparingly thereafter (averaging about once every four years, 11 times in the 43 years between 1977 and 2020).  As of 2020, the last time Glandon had been included in the Tour was 2013.

Merckx realized his mortality on Glandon, Stage 18 1977 TdF.

COL DE LA CROIX DE FER

Cycling Col de la Croix de Fer from the west.

24.2 km / 1,635 m / 5.2%

This is a wonderful and scenic climb that begins just north of Lac du Verney and is not far from La Garde (the start of the Alpe d’Huez climb). There are three routes to the Col de la Croix de Fer (“Pass of the Cross”) and we have charted those in the map in the menu bar at the bottom of this page. The northern approach to this pass is by far the most difficult of the three.

The Pass of the Cross has been featured in the Tour de France 19 times between 1947 and 2017.

COL DE LA MADELEINE

Col de Madeleine south (La Chambre)

Ride 18.8 kilometers gaining 1477 meters at 7.9% average grade.

After taking off 2019, Col de Madeleine was again featured in the Tour de France -- Stage 17 September 16, 2020.  This was the 27th time this amazing bike climb has been featured in the TdF since 1969 when the pass was first included in this Grand Tour.

Image: Tour de France Stage 17.

A tale of two routes -- the southern approach of Col de Madeleine is very strenuous and a Top 100 World Climb, while the northern route is less difficult but extraordinarily beautiful. Although each is a little more of one than the other, both climbs are considered challenging and beautiful.  If one finds themselves in the French Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Region and certainly in the Savoie Department of eastern France, this is simply a must-do set of climbs.  

Col de Madeleine is one of the many exceptional HC climbs in the Saint Jean-de-Maurienne area (in our opinion one of the greatest climbing areas in the world -- Col du Galibier, Col du Télégraphe, Col de L’Iseran, Col de Glandon, Alpe d’Huez).  Add that it has been featured in the Tour de France 26 times from 1969 (admittedly late on the scene) to 2018 (Stage 12 in 2018; and will be Stage 19 in 2019), and you have a true bucket list extraordinary climb!