Drôme Provençale to the Alps — Tour de France’s legendary passes

The Tour de France is a bit of a trendsetter. During some editions, little-known places appear on the route, such as the summit of La Planche des Belles Filles in the Vosges mountains. Some places feature in the Tour year after year, timeless parts of this world-famous race. They’re part of the history and the myth of the ‘Big Loop’ (La Grande Boucle), just like the most famous riders or the finish on the Champs-Elysées.

The passes and summits are often the most renowned. Among the 10 most famous cols, I’ve chosen to link three of them in this Collection. They are located in two very different regions: the Mont Ventoux between Drôme and Vaucluse, the Alpe d'Huez and the Galibier pass in the Alps.

This route also takes you to other lesser-known passes as you ride between two regions that lend themselves perfectly to cycling.

This seven-stage Collection leads 600 kilometres (373 mi) from Montélimar to Gap. You cycle along the deserted roads of the Drôme Provençale, passing through the Mont Ventoux Biosphere Reserve and the Baronnies Regional Park. After the Diois, you head for the Vercors plateau and ride on the edge of its Regional Natural Park. After, it’s time to confront the high alpine valleys such as the Romanche, passing through the northernmost part of the Écrins National Park before descending towards the Serre-Ponçon lake and arriving in Gap. Along the way, you discover beautiful towns such as Briançon, Buis-les-Baronnies and Embrun.

This adventure is perfect for cycling enthusiasts who like to cover long distances and climb. Over seven stages, the cumulative difference in altitude approaches 10,500 metres (34,500 ft). Note that the route doesn’t ascend the three passes mentioned above, instead taking you to the starting point of the climbs so you can choose. You can easily shorten the stages according to your level to make this route easier.

As we’re dealing with mountains and passes, it’s imperative you’re well equipped with warm clothes. Winter should be avoided as the high passes are rarely open and it’s not pleasant to ride when it’s freezing. Bikepacking lends itself perfectly to this route,especially in the warmer months, but pack light

For each stage, I’ve made sure that you arrive in a village or a town where you’ll have no problem finding food and accommodation. The itinerary starts at Montélimar train station and finishes at Gap train station.