Legendary passes of the Tour de France

The Col du Galibier is undoubtedly one of the most famous classic climbs of the Tour de France. Not without reason he is also called the roof of the tour. If you pedal between the serpentines, you also realize why. The more you approach the 2634 m, the more likely you are to hit the snow. Often, like-minded people with shorts and short-sleeved jerseys shoot past meter-high snowy peaks. Garnished with the panorama of Mont Blanc and the barren lunar landscape a real treat. Pure Tour de France!

At 2,115 m, the Col du Tourmalet is the highest French Pyrenees pass. So it is a blessing that every 1,000 m a sign shows the altitude meters that have already been reached. The fact that the remaining distance to the pass and the average gradient over the next kilometer is shown on the same sign sometimes becomes a curse.

But it is precisely the last few kilometers that give you that real pass feeling and give you a foretaste of the feeling of happiness on the pass. The monument above commemorates Jacques Goddet, former director of the Tour de France and founder of the sports newspaper L'Equipe.

The Mont Ventoux is of course an absolute "MUST" for every racing cyclist. And apart from the Tour de France hype about this mountain, it is simply beautiful - great route from Bedoin first through the light oak forest, later through the barren limestone landscape with a view of Provence that you have to experience.

And if you're not driving uphill at racing speed, the incline is also much less dramatic than is often said.

In addition to big names like Tourmalet, Galibier and Ventoux, the Izoard is ever forgotten, which almost gives him the status of a secret favorite - although he is too well known and too legendary. After all, he is one of the top ten Tour de France passes ever! In 2017, the Izoard is even the first time with a mountain arrival on the program of the "Grande Boucle".
Because it is more economical to drive through the Durance valley to get from Briançon to Guillestre, the technical importance of Col d'Izoard is almost zero. To the delight of racing cyclists! So you can enjoy here really undisturbed grandiose nature. While you are traveling in the lower part in sparse pine forests, you have a clear view of the magnificent serpentine road. It leads through rugged, wild rock and desert landscapes. Breathtaking! Thanks to several passages with double-digit percentage increase in the double sense of the word.

If you want to choose the simpler option, you can drive to Col d'Aspin from Ste. Marie-de-Campan. If you prefer the more beautiful landscape, start in Arreau. Both climbs are feasible, scenic and definitely worth to be climbed. If you leave for Arreau, stay focused until the end. The last corners are difficult to see and "shut up", as the saying goes.

The Col de la Croix de Fer is not on the Route des Grandes Alpes. And that's definitely an advantage in this case! The tourist flows on this pass are significantly lower than, for example, on the eastern parallel pass Col du Galibier. And so you can enjoy the wonderful landscape all the more at the Col de la Croix de Fer. The pass offers the complete portfolio of alpine mountain roads: a beautiful gorge landscape (north approach), a picturesque reservoir (south approach) and a barren high valley at the top of the pass.

As far as the absolute height is concerned, the Col de la Madeleine is actually not exactly "hors catégorie". But what the difference in altitude is concerned. Starting in Feissons (north side), 1,582 vertical meters have to be conquered, from La Chambre (south side) 1,535 vertical meters. So there is no such thing as “easy rolling” here. Instead, there are ramps with a gradient of more than ten percent on both sides. The legs may find this uncomfortable at times, but the landscape and the views of the Mont-Blanc massif, among other things, thank you for the effort.

According to the mountain price classification, the east side of the Col d'Aubisque (1st category) is slightly lighter than the west side (Hors category). This is mainly due to the fact that the Col du Soulor, which you must first climb from the east, has a small intermediate run. A good opportunity for the legs to regenerate something! On the west side of the pass, you realize that you are getting closer and closer to the Atlantic and you are steadily away from the Mediterranean Sea. The Vallée d'Ossau, in which one leaves, already belongs to the Pyrénées-Atlantiques - cool and humid Atlantic weather sends greetings.

At the Col de l'Iseran, at more than 2,764 meters above sea level, you come close to the giants. This pass is indeed the highest road pass in the Alps. In other words, it is a mythical place for all experienced cyclists!It only exceeds by about ten meters the impressive Italian pass of Stelvio which culminates at 2,758 meters.Appreciate this unique moment and this satisfaction before the beautiful descent which is announced.

Originally, Alpe d'Huez was just a test-tube town for winter sports enthusiasts. But why not earn money in summer too? With the offer to let the entire peloton spend the night in the castles free of charge, Alpe d'Huez became the first mountain finish of the Tour de France in 1953.

Since then, the 21 bends to Alpe d’Huez have been the epitome of mountain arrivals, for spectacles, for cycling legend for many cyclists - to be experienced live during the ascent through the names of the stage winners who are immortalized in the bends. So there is plenty of fun during the climbing party.