ROAD CYCLING IN THE TARENTAISE
The Auberge and Chalets sur la Montagne are the perfect base for a training holiday and we have many cyclists from around the world joining us for altitude work and for event preparation as well as for cyclotourisme. We are also the perfect stopping-off place if you're touring in the area.
It's there on the doorstep: mile after mile of some of the best road routes in the world. Some of the more famous local rides include:-
The Col d'Iseran. 2764 meters altitude. About 1350 meters climb from the Auberge taking 4 hours for the round trip. Last passed in the Tour de France in 1992. (Aborted in the 1996 Tour because of snow!)
Bourg St Maurice to Val d'Isère. About 1000 m.of climbing. The exact route of the 1996 Tour time trial and going straight past our Auberge. Berzin won the stage in under 50 minutes, the best I've ever done is 1hour 20.
Col du Petit St Bernard. 2188 m. altitude. A stunning ride with easy gradients taking you up to the Italian border. (With fantastic Italian hot chocolate!) A 3-4 hour loop from the Auberge.
Cormet de Roseland. 1968 m. altitude. The route of the 2002 Tour on its Aime to Cluses stage, and of the Etape du Tour that year too. We were 7500 of us, all getting jammed up on the Cormet's narrow lower road. Also the descent route of the 1996 Tour, when Indurain cracked in the rain and Johan Bruyneel went over the precipice.
Les Arcs. 2100 m. or 1850 m. The finish of the 1996 ride over the Cormet when Luc Leblanc pulled away and Indurain effectively lost the Tour. A 3-4 hour circuit from the Auberge.
La Plagne. 2100 m. A winding route very similar to the climb to Alp d'Huez. The tour finished here in 2002 after an epic day in 35 degree heat with all the Dutch going ballistic as Michael Boogerd, utterly Boogerd, hung on to his lead.
The list is endless! We have route plans for dozens of rides, with hand out sheets and maps to give you.
N.B. Chalet guests should allow an extra half hour to cover the 3kms/300m vertical to/from the Auberge.