L'Etape du Tour - Act 1

L'Etape du Tour

L'Etape du Tour, established in 1993 to allow amateur cyclists to test their legs on the route of one of the mountain stages in the Tour de France, has become the reference race for cyclosportive riders from all over the world.

Over 50 different nationalities are represented in the field. Riders come from faraway countries, all of them burning with the same passion for the Tour de France and the legendary French mountains.

Since L'Etape du Tour is a travelling race, it is a unique yearly chance to discover new regions and new landscapes, to combine a sports challenge with tourism in France.

In view of the success of the last few editions, we have implemented a solution which allows us to satisfy as many cyclists as possible.
L'Etape du Tour has been played out in two acts since summer 2011.
With two challenges instead of one, participants can focus on the stage which matches their ability and preferences best. The most ambitious riders can also go for the prestigious double.

Act 1: July 8, 2012 - Albertville / La Toussuire, Les Sybelles

Act 1 will lead you on a 140-km-long trek across the Savoie department.

Right in the heart of four big Alpine valleys, Albertville will welcome you next summer. We will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Olympic Games in this artistic and historical town.

Several legendary cols are on the menu of this first challenge: first, the Col de la Madeleine and then the Col du Glandon, two climbs which are over twenty kilometres long. The climbs up these two epic passes will be the main challenge of the stage. They will lead you up to the Les Sybelles massif.

Then, you will be taken on a tour of this massif: the link to the Col de la Croix de Fer, the Col du Mollard and, to top it all, the final climb to the Le Corbier and La Toussuire stations.

The stage is not too long but it is full of climbs, and you should be prepared and fit enough to tackle the sequence of mountains.