In September 2017, I paid another visit to the French Alps for my very own Tour de France 2017.
Unlike during my previous Tour in 2014, I picked a single location for our base camp: 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 was planning on cycling the Gran Fondo Sestriere, which was part of the Marmotte series in 2015. I did set out for that GF, but I did not finish, because I got a flat just when I was starting the (first) ascent to Sestriere and I found out I didn’t have any spare tube(s) with me…
And since I completed the Marmotte Hochkönig in Austria, I was hoping to cycle the route of the official Marmotte Alpes, but that didn’t happen, because of the fact that the days were (already) short and cold.
Latest update: I know I’ve been sloppy this time and I haven’t really kept you updated. I will probably try harder next time…
General info about my ‘Tour de France’ expeditions here.
