Col du Grand Colombier - Culoz

The Grand Colombier isn''t like the legendary alpine climbs for several reason, and that gives it a quite unusual character. Firstly the summit isn''t that high, just 1501 meters, so there is still plenty of vegetation up there. Secondly because it isn''t near a motorway or a big town, it''s really quiet, and that makes it much more relaxing to ride than many of the famous cols in the alps. Thirdly the views are simply stunning of the fecund farmland and magnificent river and lake below.



I started from Culoz because that''s the way the Tour and Dauphiné went this year, and the climb gets pretty steep right from the village. Pretty soon you are into the sinuous, narrow road that looked so good from the helicopters on tv this year. The middle section is very easy, almost flat, and then there''s a really nasty long straight ramp at over 10 per cent that really gets the legs burning.



Later you go over cattle grids into mountain meadows and then, apart from a few steepish bits, the difficult work is over.



I did a loop down the road towards Artemare. It''s pretty scary going down because it''s so steep, 19 per cent average in one stretch, so take care. There are some lovely pretty mountain villages at the bottom for a coffee.

My personal climb rating:

I climbed the Grand Colombier five days before the Tour de France 2012 was historically due to go over it. See the story by Jules B below. The barriers were being put up and the camper vans were already there to reserve a spot for that immortal moment when the pro''s pass by on the big day. It was easy to imagine it as we climbed by bike forever upward. It was a hot day with a cool wind at the top. The view from the top is spectacular and there is a huge cross within walking distance. The road surface was needless to say excellent and the descent very fast. There is an online club (www.felesducolombier.fr) you can join if you climb all four sides of the Grand Colombier in one day. Crazy! Along the way up there are kilometer signs for cyclists showing the gradient. The Col du Grand Colombier must have been one of the best kept cycling secrets in France, but now,no longer; after the Tour de france put it on the map.

My personal climb rating:

The Grand Colombier is part of the French JURA (part: Haut-Bugey), not the Alps!

Climb 2, 3 or 4 sides of the Grand Colombier (4 sides = 136km; grad.: 4800m) and become a member of ""les fêlés du Grand Colombier"". Or try Defi Bugiste (= 4 x Grand Colombier + 2 x Col de Biche; 208km; grad.: 7000m).

www.felesducolombier.fr

My personal climb rating:

After climbing the steeper ascent of the Grand Colombier last year (through Virieu-le-Petit), I decided to give this one a go in July 2010. This climb is a classic alpine ascent in every way, with stunning views, varied scenery and a typically great road surface. The gradients shown in the stats above should be ignored - most of this climb involves prolonged periods at 10-14%, which is tough by anyones standards. There are two flat sections on the way up which bring the average gradient down and offer a little relief. This route features in the 2010 Tour de lAin and is classed as Hors Category. Pros will climb it in around 45 minutes (compared to my less impressive 1hr30!). No Grand Colombier climbs have ever featured in the Tour de France, the reason for which, locals will tell you, is that its simply too hard. They may well be right!

My personal climb rating: