Like many cyclists, I’ve always wanted to explore some of the big Alpine climbs. Training this year has been going well and as a block of time came free last minute, it seems like this summer is the time to put my money where my mouth is.
Logistically, the Geneva to Nice route is ideal for me as I can fly direct to both from Dublin. The only tricky part is boxing up the bike as I’ll need to use a cardboard box I can discard in Geneva, and find a friendly bike shop in Nice to give me a new one for the return journey.
My plan is to follow the Route des Grandes Alpes, and I owe a lot to this post by BreatheBike for the basis of the route, which I’ve transcribed onto Strava, for a total of close to 600km distance and 13,500m of climbing:
I wanted to book accommodation ahead of time, but also allow a bit of contingency, so I’ve broken the Geneva to Nice route down into two blocks of two days’ cycling about 150km per day, with a two day “break” half way, which if I’m feeling okay I’ll use to do a couple of out-and-back routes without the panniers on, and otherwise I can rest and recover. I also have two days in Nice before I fly home, which hopefully I’ll be able to use to explore the Cote D’Azur.
Day One
Geneva to Bourg St Maurice, taking in the following climbs:
- Col de la Colombiere (1613m)
- Col des Aravis (1487m)
- Col des Saisies (1654m)
- Cormet de Roselend (1968m)
Day Two
Bourg St Maurice to Saint Jean de Maurienne, via the Col de L’Iseran (2770m), with a cheeky finisher up the small but spectacular Lacets de Montvernier (790m)
Day 3, Day 4
Out and back routes from St Jean de Maurienne, depending a lot on how I’m feeling after the first two days. Might post later with my wildly optimistic plans!
Day 5
St Jean de Maurienne to Jausiers via the Telegraphe / Galibier (1562m / 2642m), the Col de L’Izoard (2361m) and the Col de Vars (2108m)
Day 6
Jausier to Nice, climbing the Col de la Bonette (2802m) early in the day, followed by over 100km of gradual descent to Mediterranean.
