Did you know there’s a better way up the Col de la Madeleine? It has more hairpins and more climbing than the classic route from La Chambre.
This road used to be one of the Alps’ best kept secrets. Then the Tour de France found it in 2015, and these days it’s a must do for any road cyclist heading to the Maurienne.
A Quiet Night in Saint Jean de Maurienne
We started our latest ride in Saint Jean de Maurienne. The town was once prosperous and has seen better days. On a Monday evening it’s sleepy, to put it kindly. We spent about 30 minutes wandering the streets looking for a restaurant that was a) open and b) willing to serve us. In the end we went back to the hotel and ate microwaved tartiflette in the bar.
It wasn’t the best dinner of our lives, but it taught us something: if you ride out of season, be ready for some unusual meals!
Rolling Out to Pontamafrey
Breakfast was a big improvement, and we left the hotel at around 10:00am. The road to the foot of the Lacets is mostly flat. It crosses the motorway and takes you into the village of Pontamafrey. The Lacets are well signposted, and as you get close you can see the hairpins zigzagging up the cliff to a little chapel perched right at the top.
The Lacets de Montvernier: Hairpin Heaven
If you love hairpins, you’ll love this climb. “Lacets” means laces, as in shoelaces, and you’ll see why the moment you look up.
Here are the numbers:
- 17 hairpins. Many sources say 18, but one of them is debatable and sits off on its own.
- 2.5 kilometres of climbing, which works out to a hairpin every 150 metres.
- About 8% average gradient, nice and steady.
- A narrow road with tight bends and no large vehicles allowed.
It’s tremendous fun. One word of warning, though. The Lacets give you only about 200 metres of climbing, which is roughly 20% of the way up the Col du Chaussy. And the Chaussy is a serious climb in its own right, so save something in your legs.
Over the Chaussy to the Madeleine
From the top of the Col du Chaussy, the route drops down a long descent to join the main road up the Col de la Madeleine.
This side of the Madeleine doesn’t let up. There are plenty more hairpins to tackle. Three kilometres from the top you reach the ski resort of Saint-François-Longchamp, and the final stretch winds up through the ski slopes to the summit.
A Tour de France Legend
The Col de la Madeleine has featured in the Tour de France 25 times. In his book Mountain High, Daniel Friebe tells the story of David Millar’s lonely battle with the Madeleine in 2010. Millar was 35 minutes behind the peloton and fought his way up alone, finishing just inside the time cut.
We had no time limit to worry about, thankfully. The autumn weather was perfect for climbing, and we even had a lovely tailwind to help us up.
Why Autumn Is a Great Time to Ride
As you can see from the photos and videos, the colours were incredible. Yellows, oranges and reds lit up the mountainsides in every direction. The roads were quiet too. We saw a handful of other cyclists on the climbs, and there were probably more bikes than cars that day.
If you want to see the Alps at their best, autumn is the time to come.
Ride It With Us
Fancy riding here next autumn? Get in touch and we’ll put together a bespoke tour for you. The Lacets and the Madeleine are non-negotiable!
