The Marmotte Granfondo Alpes starts at dawn in the heart of the village of Bourg d’Oisans. Once the bell rings, all the tension evaporates with the first pedal strokes to the cheers of the fans. After around ten kilometres on the flat, the first difficulty of the day appears, the Col du Glandon. A long and uneven first ascent. Once at the summit, safety is the order of the day with the timing system “frozen” for the neutralized descent. The aim is to take your time and above all negotiate this fast, technical section well.

Once you’ve reached the foot of the col, the Maurienne Valley marks the start of the day’s main course, with the Telegraphe (1,570m) and Galibier (2,645m) sections, a total of 2,000m/d+ over 35km. The refreshment point at Valloire halfway along the route will allow you to recharge your batteries before tackling the majestic Galibier and its walls of snow along the roadside. The descent over the Col du Lautaret to Bourg d’Oisans allows the body to recover a little from the effort.

Please note: because of the many successive tunnels with poor lighting, personal lighting is essential and MANDATORY (light kit/visibility waistcoat).

The final climb of the day is the 21 bends of the Alpe. It’s a real challenge for the cyclists, with the first 2 bends averaging 13%. What a wonderful image to see all these cyclists struggling up this legendary climb, where the Tour de France has written some of the finest pages in its history. Once the finish line is crossed, it’s a special mixture of emotion, fatigue and sometimes pain, but above all satisfaction and pride, that can be seen on the faces of the happy Finishers.