- Stage town for the 33rd time
- Mountain resort in Isère (38) attached to the commune of Huez
- Population: 1,300 (D’Huizats and D’Huizates)
This is a mountain where success goes in cycles. The French successors to Bernard Hinault’s win emerged in this century, Pierre Rolland picking up the torch in 2011, followed, in 2013, by Christophe Riblon. Thibaut Pinot then achieved one of his greatest successes here in 2015. Since then, the ski station has been under British control on the days the Tour has visited. Geraint Thomas (2018) and then Tom Pidcock (2022) both celebrated victory at Alpe d’Huez. Two years later, the Dutch flag was raised again by Demi Vollering at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, although she was beaten in the final overall classification by Kasia Niewiadoma by just four seconds.
Alpe d’Huez Resort
Origin: development began in the 1920s
History and characteristics: the first ski lift with poles was inaugurated in 1936 by Jean Pomagalski, founder of Poma. It is part of the Alpe d’Huez Grand Domaine Ski area: 250 km of slopes over 10,000 hectares (including 840 skiable), with a vertical drop of 2,223 m, 70 ski lifts, 135 marked runs (42 green, 37 blue, 39 red, 17 black), 2 snowparks and 1 ski/boardercross. The emblematic black run, Sarenne (8 km, 3,330 m → 1,510 m), was featured in the Tour de France in 2013. Famous skiers trained here include Fabienne Serrat, Laure Péquegnot, Alizée Baron, and Valentin Giraud-Moine.
Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Church
Construction: 1969
Style: contemporary
Characteristics: original tent-shaped architecture, stained glass windows by artist Arcabas. The bell rings at every Tour de France stage finish. Built with concrete, copper, laminated wood and translucent glass. Formerly used as the Tour de France press room.
Pic Blanc
Altitude: 3,330 m
Characteristics: 360° panorama rated 3 stars in the Michelin Green Guide. Offers views of Mont Ventoux, Taillefer, Belledonne, Chartreuse, Meije, Muzelle, Mont-Blanc and Aiguilles d’Arves.
Brandes Archaeological Site
Foundation: 12th–14th century
Altitude: 1,800 m
History and characteristics: former medieval village for the extraction of argentiferous galena for the Dauphiné region, used between 1,750 m and 2,800 m. Includes a church, necropolis, dwellings and mine galleries. The remains provide insight into medieval life and social organization.
Listing: listed as a Monument historique since 1995.
Musée d’Huez et de l’Oisans
Characteristics: a Musée de France unique among mountain resorts, linked to the Brandes archaeological site. It presents the history of the village and its alpine pastures from the Middle Ages to the present day, with permanent exhibitions on the mountain, silver mining in the 12th–13th centuries, and World War II (“Summer 1944. The Maquis of Oisans”).
