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!'"
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”).
