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Alpe d'Huez Bourg d'Oisans (copyright TheColCollective.com)Ride some of France's iconic hill climbs on traffic free roads for FREE this summer
Would you like to ride some of the finest iconic hill climbs of France without the worry of motorised traffic?
As part of the Oisans Col Series, each Tuesday this July and August, one mountain pass will be available exclusively for cyclists, with no registration required.
This is a free, non-timed get-together for cyclists, with no registration required and no set departure time.
This year the series features a new route from Freney d’Oisans up to Auris en Oisans. Refreshments will be provided on the summit – a great opportunity to discover the produce of the Oisans.
To receive updates click here for Facebook details.
On Tuesday July 7th the route to Col d’Ornon is closed to all traffic except cyclists from 9 to 11 AM between La Paute (2 km before Bourg d’Oisans) and the Col d’Ornon.
This first edition of Oisans col series takes you up to the col d’Ornon, the gateway to the Matheysin plateau, an 11km distance with a 630m climb.
You can time your climb using Timtoo Timing fixed electronic timing chips on the Bourg d’Oisans – Col d’Ornon section.
On 14 July and 18 August, take on the Col de Sarenne - the road is closed to traffic from 9 to 12 AM between Le Perron (3.8 km after Clavans le Bas), the Col de Sarenne and the Alpe d’Huez altiport.
Tuesday 21st July and 25th August see the Col du Sabot closed to all traffic except cyclists from 9 to 12 AM between Le Collet (2 km after Vaujany) and the Col du Sabot (end of the road).
The little, isolated pass is ideal for exploring during the week of the Tour de France. A fabulous view awaits you at the top of the narrow road leading up to the Col du Sabot, overlooking the Lac de Grand Maison and the Eau d’Olle Valley.
On July 28 check out the Auris en Oisans - the road up to Auris en Oisans is closed to all traffic except cyclists from 9 to 11 AM between the bridge at Freney d’Oisans and the ski resort village at Auris en Oisans.
New for 2015, this is a lovely climb up the side of the Romanche Valley.
The famous Alpe d’Huez is open for business on Tuesday 4 August - the road up to Alpe d’Huez is closed for use by cyclists between 9 and 11 AM.
Make the iconic climb up the 21 switchbacks that feature in the legendary Tour de France stage. Finally on August 11th you can take on the Col de la Croix de Fer - the road is closed to all traffic except cyclists from 9 to 12 AM between Rivier d’Allemont (10 km after Allemont) and the Col de la Croix de Fer.
Included in both the Tour de France and La Marmotte, the Col du Glandon and the Col de la Croix de Fer are unmissable experiences in the life of a cyclist. From the top, you will be rewarded with a magnificent view.
For all details and maps click here.
Latest Comments
- belugabob 1 sec ago
As a boomer (excuse me for my date of birth) I resent the generalisation as much as I resent "bloody cyclists!"
- Spangly Shiny 39 min 14 sec ago
I had the pleasure of owning two of the featured builders here, in my history. When I joined the Army in 1971, I took with me my curly Hetchins:...
- Username 1 hour 44 min ago
Could Siobhán paint it red and noone would notice it?
- Simon E 2 hours 28 sec ago
Feel so sorry for the family, likely to be in temporary accommodation for at least 6 months.
- E6toSE3 12 hours 18 min ago
I've posted before about being 69, lifelong cyclist as my main transport, much of it in, through, under, over London and how it's bicycles that...
- Spangly Shiny 16 hours 33 min ago
To paraphrase Field of Dreams, "Build it right and they will come: and use it!"
- Rendel Harris 18 hours 54 min ago
And a Happy Christmas to you, road.cc staff!
- Rendel Harris 19 hours 42 min ago
The odds of not being able to find a single pedestrian - just one, note, "any pedestrian" - in an area containing more than about ten of them who...
- bikeman01 21 hours 21 min ago
I love how wannabe racer reviewers talk about fork flex under braking like their tyres are made of glue. I find traction gives long before fork flex.
- hawkinspeter 22 hours 29 min ago
They don't make them like they used to
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11 comments
Wot a brilliant idea!!!!!!
There are lots of cols in the Alps that have traffic free days:
http://www.cycling-challenge.com/cycle-the-alps-traffic-free-heres-how-2...
My top 5:
Stelvio (from Prato)
Agnel (from France)
Esische (from Ponte Marmore)
Giau (from Cortina)
Sampeyre (from Elva)
French cols are amazing, (Galibier, Turini, Tende, Parpaillon, Allos, Vars, Bonette, Champs, Cayolle, Izoard, Cormet de Roselend, Tourmalet, etc...) but then the Italian ones just seem even more amazing
yeah I found that funny it is like wow you have a 1L engine behind you !! I could not make it up the Galibier so that photo will have to wait, the best Col though I think is the Madeline
NIce idea but better if the cols work closed for a whole day or specific sunday or weekend even better ………..
Hope they will do the same in the Pyrenees.
Even if descending on most of them you can see enough far in front to give it a go when clear, or do what I did and take risks for the thrill. If you are driving up the cols then most would expect. In fact I found the motor cyclists more an issue as they tried the same thing as us.
True. When I went a couple of years ago, the cars were fine but there were a load of foreign (i.e. not French) motorcyclists who would pass close. What amused me (a bit) was them taking photos of each other in front of the Col du Galibier sign. I'm thinking "Hey, we actually pedaled up here. WTF?".
Hang on, I've ridden a few of those when open to traffic and it was far nicer than riding in the UK. OK, the descending might be nicer when you know there's nothing coming the other way, but generally it's just a much nicer place to cycle.
Admittedly the road surface on the Col du Sarenne is almost as bad as anything in Surrey. It's a nice climb though and then traverse to the top of Alpe d'Huez and descend via Villard Reculas .... Be there in a few weeks
Brilliant idea. Chapeau, Frenchhumans.
Doubt they get many complaints from the locals eh ? Well given the impact of the Tunnel collapse guess they need to get as many as possible there.
One more reason to live out there eh ?
When the Col de Sarenne was included in The Tour Chris Froome and Tony Martin both criticised it as a dangerous road for descending. Martin said: "The road is old and narrow. It’s a bad road, no guardrails. A mistake could see you falling straight down 30 meters.”
I don't know if the road has been improved since then. Hopefully it will be easier to stay away from the edge outside of a pro pelaton.
The Col de Sarenne is a beautiful road to climb and descend. Maybe not as a peloton of 180 racing it but it is no more dangerous than any of the other roads in the area.