Col du Glandon
Presentation
The Glandon pass, the kingdom of the "little queen"!
The valley of Villards, with the Col du Glandon (1924 m) in the focus, is an exceptional site for cycling lovers. Don't be fooled by the average slope of 7.2% of the road leading to the Col du Glandon, which hides 3 km of flat ground at the village of Saint Colomban and 3 km at more than 10% on the last ramps of the pass. The road, already crossed 14 times by the Tour de France, was built in 1898. The ascent evolves between the Belledonne range in the west and the summits of the Sybelles ski area in the east.
From the Col du Glandon, an exceptional view of Mont Blanc!
Most of the Maurienne passes belong to the legend of cycling and the Tour de France, the Glandon, the Madeleine, the Iron Cross, the Galibier, the Télégraphe, the Mont-Cenis, the Iseran: the only evocation of these passes refers to the greatest champions of this century.
In fact, they are now only called "justices of the peace" because it is true that it is on their slopes that the Tour de France is won. It is quite paradoxical that what constitutes the cyclists' paradise has so often meant, for them, a real hell!
Almost every year since the creation of the Tour de France by Henri Desgrange, the Grande Boucle has taken these legendary passes. Fausto Coppi, Anquetil, Mercks, Hinault, Lemond and Indurain have written there among the most beautiful pages of cycling.
Traditionally, the riders of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré take the dizzying laces of the Col du Glandon.
The Tour Arvan-Villards, too, systematically passes through the Col du Glandon and the Col de la Croix de Fer, gathering a few hundred passionate cyclotourists over 3500 m of difference in altitude.
In fact, they are now only called "justices of the peace" because it is true that it is on their slopes that the Tour de France is won. It is quite paradoxical that what constitutes the cyclists' paradise has so often meant, for them, a real hell!
Almost every year since the creation of the Tour de France by Henri Desgrange, the Grande Boucle has taken these legendary passes. Fausto Coppi, Anquetil, Mercks, Hinault, Lemond and Indurain have written there among the most beautiful pages of cycling.
Traditionally, the riders of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré take the dizzying laces of the Col du Glandon.
The Tour Arvan-Villards, too, systematically passes through the Col du Glandon and the Col de la Croix de Fer, gathering a few hundred passionate cyclotourists over 3500 m of difference in altitude.
