As previously mentioned, I would like to incorporate two “Critérium du Dauphiné” stages in my “Tour de France 2022”.
Traditionally that features stages in the Savoie and Haute-Savoie, both departments in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
With our base camp located in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, I have the opportunity to incorporate (parts of) the two last stages of this year’s edition in my trip(s).
This post tackles the stage that took place in an area I haven’t visited yet, the Haute-Savoie.
I’ll start with describing the Dauphiné stage and then come up with a better idea in my next post 😎
(I may still “just” ride this stage, though.)
Dauphiné stage 8 started in the Savoie, though, with a climb I also haven’t done yet, the Col de Plainpalais from Saint-Alban-Leysse.
I’m confused as to how that’s listed as 8.8 kilometers long by the organization vs. nearly 14 kilometers on CyclingCols.com…
With a summit at 1,174 (1,152 according to the organization) meters it may not impress, but be it 9 or 14, at 6+%, it is more than just a warming up for me.
The following Col de Leschaux (900 or 933 meters summit?) will not even make it to my “Been There, Done That” list and at ~8 kilometers / 4+% it can be considered an easy intermezzo.
As are the following “undulating” near 45 kilometers to Thônes, I guess, as that doesn’t show anything more interesting than that…
That is where CyclingCols.com puts the start of the Col de la Colombière, which makes that climb (including a downhill section) 23.1 kilometers long at “only” a 4.3% average.
As usual that doesn’t mean a lot and the final ~12 kilometers of that average near 6%, with a hard finish towards the summit.
So far, this might look like an easy stage – not to me it doesn’t – but to finish of the stage, the Plateau de Solaison is definitely worth the “HC” label.
Whatever the numbers are exactly – again the organization and CyclingCols.com show differ – most of the climbing is done at an over 9% average…
Tour de France 2022 main page here.
