L'ALPE D'HUEZ AND CYCLING
Seventy-five years after its baptism of fire presided over by Fausto Coppi in 1952, Alpe d'Huez is set to write a new page in its Tour de France legend with two summit finishes, on the eve and the day before the finish, and two different climbs: the classic route from Bourg d'Oisans with its 21 hairpin bends and the climb from the other side to the Col de Sarenne. The riders are familiar with this route, having raced down it in 2013 when (already) two ascents of Alpe d'Huez were on the programme, but via the traditional route. The Col de Sarenne was also part of the Dauphiné route in 2013 (in the classic direction) and in 2017, for a first climb in the same direction as the one proposed this year to the Tour riders. Britain's Peter Kennaugh won in the Isère resort. The last two male winners at Alpe d'Huez in the Grande Boucle are also British, with Tom Pidcock winning in 2022 thanks in particular to his formidable descending skills, while Geraint Thomas cemented his dominance in the 2018 Tour. Chris Froome also competed there in the yellow jersey in 2013 and 2015.
In the women's race, Alpe d'Huez was the final stage of the 2024 edition, where Demi Vollering, despite a stage victory and a formidable climb, had to concede victory to Kasia Niewiadoma by just four seconds. The last finishes at the summit were in 2018 and 2022. In 1952, Fausto Coppi successfully inaugurated the 21-hairpin road. The repeated successes of Zoetemelk, Kuiper and Winnen later earned it the nickname "the Dutch mountain" before the Italians distinguished themselves there once again with Gianni Bugno and then Marco Pantani. On the French side, Bernard Hinault was the first to win there in 1986. In 2011, Pierre Rolland took up the torch and, in 2013, the blue, white and red colours were once again in the spotlight with Christophe Riblon.
The streak continued in 2015 with Thibaut Pinot's victory. In terms of stage wins, the Netherlands still leads the way with eight victories, followed by Italy with seven, France with four, Spain with three and Great Britain with two. However, the first finish in the resort in 1952 did not convince the organisers, who did not return until 1976. Fausto Coppi may have had something to do with this. He performed so well that the organisers must have thought that the dreaded climb was too easy. This is what Max Favalelli, special correspondent for the event, humorously recounted: "If you had been on the steep slopes leading up to Alpe d'Huez on Friday and had seen Coppi ride by, sitting upright on his bike with his hands at the top of the handlebars, you might have said to yourself: 'Well, someone's been telling me stories, the road is perfectly flat!'"
L'ALPE D'HUEZ
Alpe d'Huez winter sports resort
The Alpe d'Huez ski resort was developed in the 1920s on a site that has been occupied since the Middle Ages. It was here, in particular, that the first ski lift with poles was opened in 1936 by Jean Pomagalski, founder of the Poma company. Today, the Alpe d'Huez resort is part of one of the largest ski areas in France: Alpe d'Huez Grand Domaine Ski, with 250 km of slopes and 10,000 hectares, 840 of which are skiable, with a vertical drop of 2,223 m (between the Pic du Lac Blanc at 3,333 m and the Enversin d'Oz at 1,100 m) and 70 ski lifts. Alpe d'Huez has 135 marked slopes, including 42 green, 37 blue, 39 red and 17 black, as well as 2 snowparks and 1 ski/boardercross. Another special feature of the resort is an 8-km-long black piste that descends from 3,330 m to 1,510 m: Sarenne. The run crosses the pass of the same name, which was used by the Tour de France in 2013. Among the famous skiers who trained in Alpe d'Huez are Fabienne Serrat, Laure Péquegnot, Gauthier de Tessières, Ophélie David and Jennifer Piot.
Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Church
Foundation: built in the 20th century (1969).
Style: contemporary.
Characteristics: it is famous for its original tent-shaped architecture and stained-glass windows painted by Isère artist Arcabas. Legend has it that Dutch priest Reuten rang the bell here every time one of his compatriots won at Alpe d'Huez. In reality, the bells ring every time someone crosses the finish line. Financed by donations from parishioners and numerous benefactors, the church was built using simple materials (concrete for the circular frame, copper for the roof, laminated wood for the framework, and translucent glass for the dome). Trivia: before the influx of journalists became too great during the Tour de France, the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges church was used as the press room for the stages arriving at Alpe d'Huez.
Pic Blanc The undisputed highlight of the area, the 360-degree panorama from the Pic Blanc, at an altitude of 3,330 metres, is rated 3 stars in the Michelin Green Guide. It offers breathtaking views over a fifth of France: Mont Ventoux, Taillefer, Belledonne, Chartreuse, Meije, Muzelle, Mont Blanc and the Aiguilles d'Arves.
Brandes archaeological site
Founded: 12th to 14th century.
Altitude: 1,800 metres
History: At this site, silver-bearing galena was mined from the 12th to the 14th century before being abandoned after the galleries flooded in 1330. The mine was operated on behalf of the Dauphins of Viennois. It enabled André, Dauphin of Burgundy, to finance the construction of Saint-André Collegiate Church in Grenoble in 1228. At the end of the 19th century, a small oratory was built on the ruins of the church.
Characteristics: At the very beginning of the 12th century, silver prospectors arrived at the site of Brandes, the highest medieval village in Europe. For more than two centuries, these men mined a rich deposit of silver-bearing lead, probably linked to the Dauphin's mint. Mining took place at altitudes between 1,750 m and 2,800 m. The ore was extracted using fire and chisels, in open pits and tunnels. The remains provide a picture of a unique society organised around a fortification, a church surrounded by a necropolis, a large settlement and mine tunnels.
Listed as: Historic monument since 1995.
Museum of Huez and Oisans The only high-altitude resort to be awarded the "Musée de France" label and associated with a major archaeological site, the Alpe d'Huez History and Archaeology Museum traces the long history of the village of Huez and its mountain pastures from the Middle Ages to the present day. The museum presents visitors with two new displays through the permanent exhibitions "The spectacle of the mountains" and "Brandes and the rush for silver in the 12th and 13th centuries". There is also an area dedicated to the Second World War with the exhibition "Summer 1944. The Maquis of Oisans".
