After arriving and setting up bikes (and having a spot of lunch) we’ll head out for a bike check on an incredible road. Yes, you will see if everything still works on the famous Lacets de Montvernier – just a few kms from the hotel.

Today we leave the hotel and ride from Saint Jean de Maurienne to Briançon. There’s only the Cols du Telegraph and Galibier standing in the way. We have a nice flat warm up along the Maurienne valley to Saint Michel de Maurienne where we turn to head up the 11km of the Telegraph. There’s a nice 5km non-technical descent into Valloire to recover, from where we start the almost 18km climb of the Galibier. Taking us up to 2,630m, it is a climb to be respected. We pass from alpine meadows, right up into the very high desolate mountain tops. If we’re lucky we’ll be able to see the mighty Meije to the south and the Mont Blanc to the north.

From the col we’re downhill all the way, past the Col de Lauteret (always nice to tick off a col without having to climb it!) into Briançon and our hotel.

We head directly south to Barcelonnette today, over two legendary cols: the Izoard and Vars. Both have featured multiple times in the Tour de France, and usually in tandem as we’re going to ride them today.

We’re uphill from the front door of the hotel onto of the most iconic mountains in the Alps. The Casse Déserte at the summit of the Izoard is unlike anywhere else in France. To get there we have to ride 19km at an average gradient of almost 6%. Which doesn’t sound too bad. But the middle stretch from 10-15km at around 8.5% could prove tough.

There’s a really twisty descent taking us down to the beautiful Guil Gorge and onwards to Guillestre. From there the last big climb of the day awaits, the Col de Vars.

Don’t be deceived by the average gradient of 5.4%, as this includes a flat few kms halfway up the climb. It’s a lovely winding road up to the summit at 2,109m. From there its downhill all the way to the hotel in Barcelonnette.

Be ready to be blown away. There are not many places in Europe where a cyclist can spend an entire day on a bike, barely cover a metre of flat ground and conquer three giant passes en route to where they started. That’s what is in store today.

After leaving Barcelonnette we’re very quickly into the climb of the Col d’Allos. The first 8 km takes us through the Bois de Gâche, with the Col de la Cayolle (more on that later) running parallel and just across the valley. Then the climb turns sharply right into and around a rocky crescent above a ravine. The full climb is almost 17km with an average gradient of 6.3%. Beware the kick in the middle of almost 11% for over a km.

Once over the col there’s a beautiful descent down to Colmars where we turn sharply left and we’re straight away onto the Col des Champs with its beautiful larch trees. 11.2km at an average of 7% (max of 10%). This is an incredibly quiet climb taking us up to 2,087m.

Some beautiful hairpins on the descent to Saint-Martin d’Entraunes and we’re ready for the final climb, the Col de Cayolle. This is another quiet climb stretching 20.5km at an average of 6.3%. It maxes out at 13% but for the most part it’s a steady ascent up to 2,326m. Then there’s a fast descent all the way back down to Barcelonnette to complete the perfect circle.

An easier start today with 20km rolling downhill to the shores of Lac de Serre-Ponçon. We climb a little as we head inland before dropping down to the emerald lake again and head toward Embrun. We then run through the valley towards Guillestre.

After lunch we pass back through the Gorges de Guil and make our way into the foothills of the Col d’Izoard which should warm up the legs nicely for the 15km ascent. It has an average of 6.8% but watch out for the 1.5km at almost 12% which comes after the village of La Draye.

After spinning back through the stunning Casse Déserte we’re over the col and it is then downhill all the way to Briançon. From there we have a little uphill drag to get us to our hotel in Serre Chevalier.

The day starts with the steady climb up the Col de Lauteret (12km at 4.5%). We then dash down the valley to Bourg d’Oisans. Once through the town we turn up to climb the monster 29km of the Col de la Croix de Fer. Don’t be fooled by the average gradient of 4.6%. This climb includes nice recovery downhill sections after 12km and 22km. But it does mean that the climbing gradient is more like 7-9%.

This climb is an onslaught of spectacular landscapes. On the way up we pass by the beautiful Lac de Grand Maison and a succession of crashing waterfalls. Just before the summit we take a quick detour to the Col de Glandon to tick that one off your list.

The Croix de Fer is your final col of the trip, and from the top we’re downhill all the way to the hotel in St Jean de Maurienne, where we can clean and pack away the bikes ready for the departure on Friday morning.