Ride the most famous Tour de France climbs – Alpe d’Huez.
Alpe d’Huez Like the professionals, we’ll head into the Alps, the difference is we’ll travel in style and skip the laborious kilometres on the bike. Our hotel in the Alps is situation atop the most famous Tour de France climbs – Alpe d’Huez. Not only does this give us the opportunity to close out our …
Alpe d’Huez
Like the professionals, we’ll head into the Alps, the difference is we’ll travel in style and skip the laborious kilometres on the bike. Our hotel in the Alps is situation atop the most famous Tour de France climbs – Alpe d’Huez. Not only does this give us the opportunity to close out our set of Tour de France classic climbs, it is accessible to tomorrow’s monumental stage on Col du Galibier. From our beautiful timber rooms, we’ll wake to the incredible Alps vista and our hosts will refuel us each night with dinner.
We’ll start our ride from the valley and let you warm-up before starting the climb. The 13 km climb with 21 switchbacks became legendary in its inaugural year when motorcycle television crews were used for the first time during the Tour. The opening 3 km of the Alpe, where gradients are steepest, force you to question your enthusiasm. Rest assured gradients temper and you’ll settle into a rhythm with the marked reminder of champions past at each turn.
For a longer ride and nearly 3,000 m of vertical metres, you have the option to descend via Col de Sarenne and take an incredible balcony road that suspends over the valley floor. This will bring you back onto the main climb, above the steepest section.
TODAY IN THE RACE
Stage 17: Pont du Gard to Gap, Hilly, 206 km
Riders return to a long 200+ km stage as they head toward the French Alps. The early stages will highlight the historic sites along the Rhone Valley, including the theatre in Orange before the village of Vaison-la-Romaine. Winds are possible to challenge the peloton and favour a breakaway. The final climb under 10km to go will turn a cohesive breakaway against each other.