ROUTE DES GRANDES ALPES

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Val d’Isère is een prestigieus skioord gelegen aan de rand van het Vanoise nationaal park dat bekend staat om de Winterspelen van 1992 en andere grote ski- en snowboardwedstrijden. What makes riding here so great is that there’s something for everyone. There are narrow roads, broad ones, even unpaved ones if you know where to look. There are towering peaks and shady gorges, relaxed runs down scenic valleys and steep climbs beside dizzying drops. Whatever you need in terms of riding and scenery is here. The road starts at Thonon-les-Bains and climbs via Les Gets and Cluses. It then heads to Saint-Gervais and Megève, over the Col des Saisies (1,633 m). It then passes through Beaufort, Bourg-Saint-Maurice and onto Val-d'Isère. The road then crosses the Col de l'Iseran (2,770 m).

This Col would not classify as the highest one in the area, but it's worthwhile to include it in a ride as it is in a very beautiful part of the French Alps. It is located between the departments of Hautes-Alpes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, and connects the Ubaye Valley with the Queyras valley and Embrun.Approaching the tunnel, one last kilometre remains to the top: you’ll need to gather all your courage and use your last strength to cover a final series of rather steep bends at 9,5 %. Après Sospel, on va en direction de Menton situé où vous pourrez vous promener entre les ruelles de la ville ou au vieux port. Het stadje is dan ook zeer geliefd onder wintersporters, maar in de zomer kan je in de omgeving heerlijk wandelen. Vanuit Le Grand-Bornand trek je door naar de Col des Aravis, vanwaar je een prachtig uitzicht hebt op het Mont Blanc massief.

The Route des Grandes Alpes is one of Europe’s iconic cycling routes, taking you through the French Alps, from Geneva to Nice. Set high in the French Alps, this drive enjoys a legendary status. It tops out at 2.802 m (9,193ft) above the sea level. The route is totally open between June (after the snow has melted) and October. Most of the passes are open at the end of May. But the highest ones – Iseran, Galibier and Izoard – are clear only after mid-June, at the earliest. The highest mountain passes generally close when the first snows arrive.Our Route des Grandes Alpes cycle tour takes eight full days of cycling. It takes in all the major sections of the Route des Grandes Alpes, but improves on it to avoid main road sections with higher traffic volume, notably in the valleys.