Planning an Alps trip

johnoakleyallen

Looking at making a trip to the alps next summer (possibly round the tour time).
The problem we have is that I doubt anyone will be willing to drive, so all the routes would need to be a circut to end up at the start.
Does anyone have any good suggestions or possible routes we could do?
Planning on going for around a week.
Cheers

craigenty

johnoakleyallen wrote:

Looking at making a trip to the alps next summer (possibly round the tour time).
The problem we have is that I doubt anyone will be willing to drive, so all the routes would need to be a circut to end up at the start.
Does anyone have any good suggestions or possible routes we could do?
Planning on going for around a week.
Cheers

That's the problem with the Alps - it's quite often hard to put a loop ride together without it being a monster day out! The Marmotte route is a perfect example.
However with a bit of planning you can base yourself in one place and do some great riding.

Bourg d'Oisans is good, you can ride the Galibier from the south, Alpe d'huez and The Col de Sarenne, The Glandon/Croix de Fer and of course the Whole Marmotte route if you're up for it. There's also a great ride up to La Berarde and a fantastic loop ride south past the Alpe de Grand Serre and back over the Col d'Ornon.

Briancon is also good - you can do the Izoard as an 80km loop and The Galibier from the south east. The Montgenevre is a nice easy ride too. You could also try the Col de Granon from Serre Chevalier!!!! used once in the tour.

A little off the beaten track is Barcelonette, my favourite cycling place in The Alps - there's some great riding here including the Col de Bonette, Col de Larche, Pra loup, Col d' Allos, Col de Cayole and the Col de Vars

rc856

+1

I stayed about 6 miles along from Bourg in Allemont.
Great base for either direction. Also did Le Deux Alpes and there were smaller climbs like Vaujany on the way to Glandon/Croix de Fer etc.

Fat Head

Make sure you have plenty of cash with you as it's not cheap over there wherever you go.

johnoakleyallen

Had a look at the tour route and it seems it will be going through serre chevalier, where I lived for a couple of years (before I took up cycling) so I might try and stay there for a day or two.
Is it worth moving around to do different routes?
Thinking we might as well head over to the pyrenees!
Could even hire a van and sleep in that for the week!

PieterM

Bormio in Italy is a great base for daily loops. Stelvio, Gavia, Mortirolo and many more famous climbs are at your doorstep.

Another excellent option is Andermatt in Switzerland. There you have climbs like St Gotthard, Nufenen, Susten, Furka and Oberalp waiting for you.

http://veloland.myswitzerland.com/en/orte_detail.cfm?id=329745

nick hanson

PieterM wrote:

Bormio in Italy is a great base for daily loops. Stelvio, Gavia, Mortirolo and many more famous climbs are at your doorstep.

http://veloland.myswitzerland.com/en/orte_detail.cfm?id=329745

The OP might struggle to get to the TDF from there!!
Agree tho',a much under visited (by Tour obsessed brits) area.Ace cycling,& food.

nick hanson

johnoakleyallen wrote:

Thinking we might as well head over to the pyrenees!
Could even hire a van and sleep in that for the week!

Argeles Gazost is a very good base for circuit & day rides.
You can do the Tourmalet (both ways),the Aubisque (again,both ways)
Hautacam,& luz Ardiden,without needing transport,once you are there

cyclingthealps

I agree on Andermatt.
The swiss giants are there to cycle and you can easily combine some of them to a day trip of 100km.
Here are some snowy cycling video's
http://www.cyclingthealps.com/#nufenenpass-video
http://www.cyclingthealps.com/#oberalppass-video

I also stayed in Bourg Saint Maurice to cycle the highest one Col de l'Iseran, Col du Petit St. Bernard, Col du Pre(Very nice one), Cormet de Roselend, Col de la Madeleine and a few more.
If you want to prepare yourself then you can start cycling it online. Have fun (Google Earh needed) http://www.cyclingthealps.com/game/col-de-liseran.html

Cheers

karlirich

The week the Tour is in town is going to be great next year. We have trips, using a range of self-catering chalets in the Bourg d'Oisans area for that week. We have a programme of guided rides that week too, that do not require a car and will take in 2-3 days of seeing the Tour live.
Email me if you are not sorted yet ... karl@horscategorietours.com
I am excited already, this snow makes me yearn for sweating up a col and then dipping in a mountain stream!

shawman

nick hanson wrote:

johnoakleyallen wrote:

Thinking we might as well head over to the pyrenees!
Could even hire a van and sleep in that for the week!

Argeles Gazost is a very good base for circuit & day rides.
You can do the Tourmalet (both ways),the Aubisque (again,both ways)
Hautacam,& luz Ardiden,without needing transport,once you are there

Agree, Argeles is fantastic. We stayed with velopeloton in 2009 for the tour. Highly recommended. There are also many other great climbs there such as, Troumouse, Tentes, Pont d'Espagne, Soulor, Coruadque & Cambasque. The 2011 tour will have have 2 stages in Argeles.

airwise

I agree with Craig - there's more than enough between Bourg and Briancon to keep you and your friends entertained for more than a week.

Add to his list the Col du Sabot, the Solude, the Granon and the Sommeileur and you'll be utterly exhausted and elated by the end of the week. Remember that one Col is often enough for a day's riding for many UK enthusiasts - certainly the likes of the Sabot and the Galibier really don't leave you asking for more.