All Routes in France
Menton Cols Loop
A cross-border loop from Menton — a perfect introduction to the roads behind the town. This 61 km ride crosses into Italy along the coast, then climbs two categorised cols: Col de Vescavo from the Italian side and Col de Castillon from Sospel, before a long descent back to the Mediterranean. Col de Castillon is the final pass of the Route des Grandes Alpes, and the medieval village of Sospel — with its 14th-century toll bridge that was bombed and later restored — sits between the two climbs.
Col de Turini & Col de Braus
Four categorised climbs. 159 kilometres. 3,430 metres of elevation. From Menton via Monaco to Col de Turini at 1,604m, descending through Nice and climbing Col d'Eze before returning along the Corniche. Also rideable from Nice — one of the finest cycling days on the French Riviera.
Col de la Madone Classic
Lance Armstrong used this climb as his personal benchmark for the Tour de France, and it remains a favourite for today's pros—Tadej Pogačar set a much-talked-about time here in 2023. Trek even named a bike after it. The Madone is 13 km of sustained climbing above Menton, passing through Sainte-Agnès—one of France's most beautiful villages—with Mediterranean views all the way. A return route through Monaco rounds out one of cycling's most glamorous days.
Col de Vence & Gourdon — Long Loop from Cagnes
A 109 km loop from the coast at Cagnes-sur-Mer up to the clifftop village of Gourdon, then over Col de Vence at 963 m and back down through the medieval town of Vence. The two real climbs are spread far enough apart that the legs have time to recover, but the final ramps to the col bite. Best as an early-summer ride — the south-facing slopes catch the heat fast.
Col de Vence & Gourdon — Classic Loop from Cagnes
An 82 km loop from the Riviera coast into the Alpes-Maritimes behind Nice, built around Col de Vence — the climb from the Vence side, a steady 9.6 km at 6.7% with the steepest, most exposed stretch near the top. You leave Cagnes-sur-Mer at sea level, climb through the medieval town of Vence, and top out at 963 m, the highest point of the day. From there the road rolls high across to Gourdon, a village pinned to a clifftop with the whole coast laid out below, before a fast 28 km descent drops you back to the Mediterranean. It's the shorter, sharper alternative to the 109 km Col de Vence loop: the same summit from the harder direction, and home before lunch.
Milano–San Remo Cycling Route — Cipressa & Poggio
A cross-border loop from Menton that rides the finale of the world's longest cycling Monument. This 102 km loop follows the Ligurian coast into Italy and along the Pista Ciclabile del Parco Costiero della Riviera dei Fiori, a traffic-free railway path featuring tunnels that celebrate the history of Milan-San Remo. From San Lorenzo al Mare you take on the race's actual finale: the Cipressa and the Poggio, the two climbs that decide "La Classicissima" every March. Expect moderate gradients, sweeping sea views, and a hairpin rhythm that is far more engaging to ride than it looks on television.
Col du Galibier & Col du Télégraphe
88.9 km and 2,859 metres of climbing, out and back from the Col du Lautaret. The route takes both sides of the Galibier and the Télégraphe: up the Galibier from the south, down to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, then back over the Télégraphe and the Galibier from the north. Just as hard every time, and the summit gives you La Meije and the Écrins glaciers.
Col de la Madeleine
A 39.6 km loop over the Col de la Madeleine with 1,529 m of climbing — a hors catégorie Tour de France classic from the Maurienne floor at La Chambre up the D213 to 2,000 m, where the view across to Mont Blanc steals whatever breath the heat has left you.
Col de la Croix de Fer og Col du Glandon
Two bucket-list Tour de France cols linked in a single 79.1 km loop out of Bourg-d'Oisans, with 1,908 m of climbing that stacks the Glandon and the Croix de Fer back-to-back before dropping you past turquoise reservoirs to the valley floor.
Alpe d’Huez & Col de Sarenne
A 51.2 km loop out of Bourg d'Oisans with 1711 m of climbing that pairs the 21 lacets of Alpe d'Huez with the wild, quiet Col de Sarenne at 1999 m. A Tour de France pilgrimage that turns into a proper high-mountain loop.
Côte d’Héry-sur-Ugine & Col des Saisies
A 70.2 km Savoie loop with 1,705 m of climbing that links two ascents from Stage 19 of the 2025 Tour de France: the Côte d'Héry-sur-Ugine and the Col des Saisies. Pro-race tarmac, fresh paint still on the road.
Aime - La Plagne
A proper Tour de France climb from the Isère valley up to La Plagne: 41.8 km and 1,472 m of ascent on freshly laid tarmac, hairpin after hairpin through Savoyard forest and ski-station meadow, then a fast, flowing descent back to Aime.