Col du Galibier – Itinéraires pour vélo de route en Maurienne

The Galibier was once the first Alpine pass to be crossed as part of the Tour de France. That is why there is a memorial stone on the south side, just below the pass, in honor of its founder Henri Desgrange. So there is no lack of real Tour de France flair on this climb, which is also the fifth highest paved Alpine pass. Apart from that, the barren mountain landscape is simply impressive, especially in the upper part. And as a bonus to all this, there is a second pass: the 'Col du Télégraph' is, so to speak, the 'pre-pass' of the 'Galibier', without which nothing works if you want to defeat its big brother.

The starting point of the tour is the small town of Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne. You cross the river L'Arc and get straight to the point: From now on you only drive uphill for the next 35 kilometers with a small break. The first thing on the program is the 'Col du Télégraph', which takes you to the actual starting point, Valloire. By the way, if you are planning a longer stage trip or prefer to take the 'Galibier' bit by bit, Valloire is an ideal stage location: There are accommodations and places to stop for refreshments here.

The higher you get, the more impressive the landscape becomes. In the upper part you can expect a bare, rough mountain landscape, but also magnificent views of what has already been achieved and what still lies ahead of you. Shortly before the steepest part of the route there is even a small mountain inn where you can strengthen and refresh yourself for the final sprint. Once at the top you can be really proud of yourself and put a big tick on your road bike to-do list!

The best way to get back to the starting point of the tour is to simply drive back the route. There is also the possibility to ride a lap - but this lap is extremely long and garnished with further passes for most normal racing cyclists a size too big.

Around the Col de Galibier there are many more passes - called "The Giants of Maurienne"! On this eight-day tour you can master them all on your bike: www.maurienne-tourisme.com/offre-sejour/cols-geants-de-maurienne