The Col de la Madeleine (1,994m1) is a mountain pass located in the Savoie on the borders of the commune of Montgellafrey in the Maurienne Valley and the commune of La Léchère in the Tarentaise Valley.
Since 1968, the pass has been asphalted and it became a popular route for (cyclo)tourists, and ski lifts link the resorts of Saint-François-Longchamp and Valmorel, the Grand Domaine.
Tour de France
The Col de la Madeleine has been included in a Tour de France stage 28 times between 1969 and 2025.
The Madeleine was also in the 8th stage of the Tour de France Femmes 2025, when Pauline Ferrand-Prévot reached the summit in the lead and took the yellow jersey, ultimately winning that year’s Tour.
La Chambre
The south-west ascent of the Madeleine is 19.3 kilometers long at an average of 7.9%, which – for me – is quite tough.
The hardest 5 kilometer stretch is 8.7%, including 1 kilometer at 9.9%, maxing out at 11%. This is between kilometers 3 and 8 and overall the climb is quite regular.
I’ve done this end in 2014 when I combined it with the Iseran from Bourg-Saint-Maurice and an up-and-down the Mont Cenis in between.
Not a very smartly planned stage…
Since then, I’ve only cycled it from the Chaussy split, coming from the Lancets de Montvernier / Cahaussy in 2021 and once via the below alternative.
– via Montgellafrey
Almost similar in length at 19.6 kilometers and with the same D+, this ascent is 7.8% on average.
However, it has a 5-kilometer stretch at 9.6%, including one kilometer at 10.6%, maxing out at 11.9%.
It is, in fact, tougher than the “classic” ascend…
I cycled this alternative in 2022‘s stage 3, but I included the side road to the dead-end Lac de la Grand Léchère, which really didn’t make it any easier.
The downhill to La Chambre is a real treat, if you like fast descends.
Feissons-sur-Isère
This ascent starts between Notre-Dame-de-Briançon and Feissons.
There’s a billboard showing it’s 26 kilometers with 1,530 meters of D+, or an average of 5.6% from there.
While you might be tricked into thinking this is (a lot) easier – I know I was – it is, in fact, not any easier than the ascent from La Chambre.
But it is more picturesque, so there’s that…
The first three kilometers of hairpins average 10%, but those are in the shade, which helps a bit if it is scorching hot.
From Villard-Benoît, there are three kilometers with false flats and downhill sections.
Past that, you cycle the toughest 5-kilometer stretch at 8.4%, including one kilometer at 9.8%, before another 2-kilometer flase flat.
This is immediately followed by another difficult straight at 9% and the last four kilometers have gradients of 9, 8, 8 and 5% respectively, with a nice series of hairpins for great views.
In short, this ascent is much more irregular than the one from La Chambre, which always spells trouble for me.
I cycled this end in 2014, the day after the not-so-smart stage with the Iseran and the other end. Stupid is as stupid does, so I then tackled the Glandon from Saint-Étienne-de-Cuines…
I cycled – and nearly died on – it in 2021. That was the day after the Marmotte and I had planned the Col de la Loze before it.
I rest my case…
In the Tour of 2024 it went better until about 5 kilometers before the summit.
1 Both the old and the new summit marker read 2,000m as does the sign outside the refuge Les 2 Mazots – with the vintage motorcycle – which is probably located ~6 meters higher. Plus, 2,000 looks more impressive 😂
