Rhône-Alpes General Tips by KaiM

Favorite Thing: One of the most thrilling experiences during my stay at Valloire was to cross the mountain pass of the Col d'Iseran about 1,5 hrs northeast of Valloire. This pass is breathtaking. The view is amazing, but you should keep both eyes on the road because it is steep. Directly beside the road is an edge and it goes down several hundred feet. I drove across this pass by car to go to Val d'Isere.


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Favorite Thing: 14,8 kilometers uphill, 1130 meters in height difference and 21 crueling 180-degree-curves - That is L'Alpe d'Huez. One of the most famous Tour de France mountains. The ascent starts in the town of Bour-d'Oisans (elevation: 720 meters) and ends at the ski station of L'Alpe d'Huez. The first kilometers the road winds through a forest with some open views across the valley and the surrounding mountains. From kilometer 11 on the route leads across a highland with no trees and no shadows. Especially in the summer it might get really hot up there. Just in case you visit the region you should definetely make a trip up there.
For more information and how I rode my bicycle up to the summit of L'Alpe d'Huez you can check my travelogue.


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Favorite Thing: Probably every cycling fan visiting the Tour de France has his or her favorite rider. That might be Lance Armstrong, Iban Mayo, Jan Ullrich or whoever. But the fascinating thing of this sport is that usually fans cheer for everybody who's passing the mountains. Especially for the local favorites. On the picture you can see Richard Virenque with his white jersey of the mountain champion and fellow French rider Christophe Moreau.


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