In September this year, I will pay another visit to the French Alps for my very own Tour de France 2017.
Other than during my previous Tour in 2014, when we switched locations four times, I have picked a single location for our base camp this year: Briançon.
Like Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Jausiers in 2014, the city of Briançon is strategically located at the base of several mountain passes…
To the west, you can get up the Lautaret and Galibier, to the east you enter Italy over the Montgenèvre climb leading up to Sestriere or the infamous Finestre further on.
And to the south, you can climb the Izoard and continue over the Agnel into Italy, or head towards Barcelonnette via de Col de Vars.
Cycling (to the) north, you can get up the Col du Granon, while the Echelle connects Briançon to Bardonecchia. And obviously you can get to Les Deux Alps and the Col de Sarenne via the Lautaret…
I’m planning on cycling the Gran Fondo Sestriere, which was part of the Marmotte series in 2016.
And if I’m really running out of challenges, I might consider cycling the route of the official Marmotte Alpes, in which case a one night relocation to Bourg-d’Oisans would be advisable…
More info on the Tour de France 2017 later – stay tuned 🙂
