Difficulty - Medium International Tours 2026 07 10 French Connection - French Alps

What an adventure we have ahead of us.

We have arrived in the beautiful city of Grenoble - our gateway to the Alps. We pick up our tourists and make the short transfer to our base for our tour near the town of Bourg d'Oisans in the Oisan's valley.

While we drive up the valley, along the banks of the mighty Isere river, you will notice the enormity of the mountains that rise above us on either side.  These mountains are like few others that you will have ridden.

On arrival at our accommodation, we will assemble and prepare our bikes and roll out for a shake out ride, during which we will point out some key things that may be important during your time on tour. Things like where is the local bike shop, ATMS and of course where we will get the best coffee in town.

We will have a welcome dinner tonight and kick off our tour in style.

Today's ride will wake up the legs in a relatively gentle fashion, rather than waking in a sweat in the middle of a nightmare. Our ride will include climbs on either side of the valley.

Our first ride will take us to the Col d'Ornon. After a brief warm up along the valley road, the Cat 4 Col d'Ornon will warm us up for the days ahead. The climb itself is 11km long at an average of about 5.8%. We will wander through beautiful little villages, that seldom see traffic.

We return to the base the same way and head for our second climb of the day. Villard Reculas is a climb through Alpine Forest. The climb is 10.1 km long at an average gradient is 6.5 %. There are long ramps and tight switchbacks before the road brings you out high above the Oisans' Valley. A great opportunity to get a photo and a sense of just how big these mountains rise above Bourg d'Oisans. This climb will bring us out at about 2/3 of the way up Alpe d'Huez. We will save that for another day, so lets roll back to our accommodation.

Today is one of our most beautiful rides on tour as we search for the Iron Cross. This ride has a bit of everything. We will be heading for the summit of the Col de la Croix de Fer, via Allemond. This climb is 27km long at an 4.7% ave. gradient.

Our ride will take us out of Bourg d'Oisans, along the valley road, in search of Allemond. Allemond is a lovely little town, typically adorned with lots of flowers. The locals really take great pride in how they show off their town. We will climb the dam wall for the Lac du Verney, before we head into the Alpine Forest. Some tough gradients in this early section of the climb. 

We will continue on and as we get higher we will reach the Lac de Grand'Maison, as an upper Alpine valley opens up ahead of us. This is one of the most beautiful views of the tour. After we head past the turn off for the Col du Glandon, we have a short 3km finish to reach the summit and the iconic Croix de Fer (Iron Cross). While its a long descent there are still a few little pinches to climb before we reach home.

This is perhaps one of our most epic days we have the pleasure of being involved in each year. Today will be a day of Tour climbs. We have a transfer to the town of St-Michel-de-Maurienne. This town sits at the base of our first climb of the day, the Cat 1 Col du Telegraphe.

The Col du Telegraphe is a shade under 12kms long at around 7.3% ave. gradient. While it has some ramps that reach 10%+ gradient, its generally a nice climb to find your rhythm and ride to the beat of your own drum. Take your time on this climb as we have a bigger one to come. Take a photo at the summit at the sign as there is usually some unusual statue constructed out of hay bales.

A short but rollicking descent into the town of Valloire, which is a good spot to stop, munch on a baguette and collect your breath before our premier climb of the day, the HC Col du Galibier. The Galibier reaches a lofty 2645m above sea level. Its a 19km long climb averaging about 7%, through an open valley before you reach the very open elements of the upper pass. 

Now an optional extra for those looking to turn this day into a Tour de France worthy day. We can either return the way we have view the Col du Telegraphe, or descend the 45km long road via Col du Lauteret back to Bourg d'Oisans.

We will put on a well deserved dinner tonight. Fuel up as tomorrow is a new day that will require plenty of energy.

Today offers two distinctly different climbs for the day. We have an Alpine Tour de France staple and a relatively new Tour de France upstart! We have a transfer to the top of the Col du Glandon. Its a great chance to really appreciate our ascent of the Col de la Croix de Fer a few days ago. We will park at the summit and roll down the Glandon, and make for the Lacets du Montvernier.

Lacets du Montvernier is a relative new comer to Tour de France climbs, which begs the question why did it take them so long. Its is quite short as a climb at just 3.4kms long, however its 17 switchbacks at roughly 8% means you get a lot for your dollar on this climb. The climb forms the first 20% of the Col du Chaussy, however we will not be heading there today.

We descend and return to Saint-Étienne-de-Cuines and the commencement of our 20km climb back to the summit of the Col du Glandon. The Glandon has been in Le Tour more than a dozen times, averaging roughly 7%. Another climb through a serious of tiny villages in the front half of the climb, with a nice little town about half way to stop for a bite and a drink, before the final slopes. There is a definite sting in the tail of this climb with 10% gradients in the last 2-3kms, before we reach our final destination at the summit.

The day has finally come! Its Alpe d'Huez day!

The Alpe d'Huez is one of those French climbs, that the mere whisper of its name, elicits visions of screaming roadside fans, looks of pain and anguish on those racing at the pointy end of the stage and of course a celebration by the winner at the summit. Having ridden this climb a number of times, whether it is a quiet day or a Tour de France race day, every one of them is a special occasion that reveals something new about this climb.

Often the road is closed on a Tuesday morning to car traffic, opening it up to cyclists to ride the road up free of cars. Often, in Alpe d'Huez village there is a market at the top on the same day. After a bite to eat we will head back to our accommodation and have a bit of a rest. Its a day that you will never forget.

For more details check out our write up on Alpe d'Huez

Today we have a real treat in store for you. Today's ride, while not unknown to many, is often not ridden by many. Lets go to Villard Notre Dame.

This climb commences out of Bourg d'Oisans on the opposite side of the valley to Alpe d'Huez. The roads can be a little rough and in a matter of minutes you will feel like you are on a bit of a wilderness ride, despite being only a kilometre or so out of town. The road is a balcony road which takes us along, above the valley providing great views of the town of Bourg d'Oisans. We will head through a number of short tunnels (we suggest you bring a headlight), before we return inside the trees and climb up through the forest to the town of Villard Notre Dame.

If we are able a bonus will be to take the road over the top of the mountain heading towards Villard Reymond, before returning back to Bourg d'Oisans. Time to rest the legs.

Today is a little known ride, but is a little ripper. Today we will tackle the Col de Sarenne. This is not the most picturesque, nor the longest, and well not even the hardest. However it is still a very satisfying way to end our tour.

The Col de Sarenne tackles the climb to Alpe d'Huez, however from the back side of the mountain. After rolling around to the town of Mizeon, we commences this 13km climb. It averages roughly 7.5% but has plenty of easier gradients. Oops that means there must be some harder gradients too.

After we reach the summit, there is a rolling 9-10km ride back to Alpe d'Huez village. Time for a bite to eat, some final souvenir shopping and a final descent to prepare our bags for the next stage of your journey.

We ride for the town of Allemond and our climb to the heavens today. We will turn and commence our climb at Vaujany. Our destination is the Col du Sabot, reaching over 2i00m.

This remote mountain pass is higher and arguably harder than the Alpe, climbing nearly 130mm in 14.5km to its summit at an elevation of 2100m for an overall average grade of 9 percent. It has some tough sectors reaching 11% but there are areas of respite.

It’s just you and a few sluggish cows or sheep as you struggle upward on the final switchbacks, realizing when you finally get to the top that we will most likely be the only ones there. And no one, including motorists, will be around for miles!

Unfortunately, as they say, 'All good things must end". We pack up our bikes and bags and say our goodbyes to our wonderful hosts at Ribot, before the trek back to Grenoble train station where will part ways. Au Revoir for now.