French Alps Traverse: Legendary Climbs Cycling Tour

Meet the team and the rest of the group at the Thonon-les-Bains SNCF railway station at 9 am. We will jump straight on the bikes and warm up on the quiet mountain roads of the Col de Jambaz.

Highlights:

• Ride the beautiful Vallée du Giffre and Val d’Abondance (optional)
• Cycle the “Portes du Soleil” area of Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz (optional)
• Discover the Diable gorges and bridge (optional)
• Views of the Mont Blanc range
• Col de la Colombiere: the first difficulty of the week, and the first real mountain pass of the Alps
• Le Grand Bornand, a reputable ski resort

After warming up on day 1, we continue our route on day 2 in true alpine fashion with epic views and a taste of the local culture and gastronomy as we explore Beaufortain and try its famous cheese, the Beaufort (with the possibility to visit the cheese cooperative).

Highlights

• Discover the Aravis mountain range with stunning views of the Mont Blanc
• See the Olympic resort of Les Saisies
• Views of turquoise waters of Lake Roseland, surrounded by beautiful alpine scenery

Day three promises a challenging itinerary as we take on the Col de l’Iseran, one of the most beautiful and longest mountain passes in the Alps. But every uphill km is compensated by breath-taking views and picture-postcard alpine villages.

Highlights:

• Navigate between the two biggest valleys of the Alps: the Tarentaise and the Maurienne
• Panoramic views of the Vanoise National Park
• Discover small, traditional villages and their stone houses (Le Miroir, La Gurraz) where time seems to have stood still

Climbing continues on day 4 as we ride in the tire-prints of some of the most legendary cyclists, reaching heights that boast  panoramic views of the Ecrins National Park with many peaks reaching over 3000 m, among them its famous summit, the Meije.

Highlights:

• A string of some of the most famous cols of the Tour de France
• Valloire ski resort and its enchanting setting (optional)
• The high mountain atmosphere of the Galibier (optional)

Day 5 promises more spectacular climbs along forested lanes, as well as the star of the show, the Col de Vars, one of the major cols of the Alps with over 1000 m of altitude gain on either side.

Highlights:

• The passage from the Northern Alps to the Southern Alps through larch forests
• A sneaky route between Barcelonnette and Guillestre that avoids the busier roads (optional)
• The charming Haute Vallée de l’Ubaye

On day 6 we switch from the Ubaye Valley to the Haute Vallée du Verdon on the ancient route of the Col d’Allo, riding amidst forests, lakes and fields bathed in Mediterranean sunlight.

Highlights:

• The Col de la Cayolle and Col des Champs
• Superb climbs through the heart of the Mercantour National Park
• The Gorges de Bachelard

Day 7 features winding mountain roads through typical southern Alps mineral landscapes of larch and pine forests, and a warmer Mediterranean climate as we move closer towards the coast. 

• The village of Roubion
• Les gorges rouges (the red gorges) of the Tinée valley and its torrent
• La Lombarde, one of the prettiest cols in the southern Alps (optional)
• La Madone d’Utelle, offering superb views of the Préalpes d’Azur (optional)
• The Vallée de la Vésubie (optional)

The final day of the tour ends around noon in Menton. An additional night’s stay or airport transfers can be arranged upon request.

Highlights:

The Col de Turini, the last major climb of the tour. All the major cols are now behind us.

A superb chain of small passes (Orme, Able, Braus) with fantastic views of the Mediterranean as we culminate our tour at the Mediterranean Sea.