Col de la Loze
| Col de la Loze | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,304 m (7,559 ft) |
| Coordinates | 45°24′18″N 6°36′07″E / 45.40500°N 6.60194°E |
| Geography | |
  Col de la Loze Location within Alps | |
| Location | Savoie, France |
| Parent range | French Alps |
The Col de la Loze is a mountain pass in the French Alps, with an elevation of 2,304 metres (7,559 ft). A path up the mountain was opened in May 2019, and is the seventh-highest mountain pass in France. The ascent featured in the 2020, 2023, and 2025 Tours de France, as well as in the 2019 Tour de l'Avenir.
Geography
[edit]
Col de la Loze is in Les Trois Vallées, at an elevation of 2,304 metres (7,559 ft).[1][2] From Col de la Loze, one can ski to the nearby La Tania,[3][4] and Le Praz.[4] By chairlift, one can get from Col de la Loze to Courchevel and Méribel, and by button lift, one can get to La Tania.[5] From Col de la Loze, one can also cycle to Lac Bleu.[6]
A path up the Col de la Loze was built in 2018[2] and was officially opened on 12 May 2019.[2] On the official opening day, there was still snow on the mountain,[7] and it was the first French mountain pass to be cleared of snow.[2] Motor vehicles are not permitted on the path.[8] The path is paved on the side toward Courchevel.[8] The path links Col de la Loze to Courchevel, and in 2020 was paved on the side to Méribel. There are future plans to continue the path to Val Thorens.[2] It is the seventh-highest mountain pass in France,[1] and the third-highest mountain pass in the Savoie region.[8]
Cycling
[edit]While there are multiple routes to get to the Col de la Loze, the climb through Meribel is the most notorious, and at 14.1 FIETS[clarification needed] is the hardest bike climb in France.[9] The climb averages a 7.5% gradient for 22.6 kilometres (14.0 mi) gaining nearly 1700 metres.[10]
On 12 May 2019, the Col de la Loze held the Eiffage time trial event to commemorate its opening.[7][11] There were 2 races: one over a distance of 22.7 kilometres (14.1 mi), and one over a shorter distance of 8.6 kilometres (5.3 mi).[11]
The first professional cycle race to ascend to Col de la Loze was stage 8 of the 2019 Tour de l'Avenir.[12] The stage was won by Australia's Alexander Evans.[12]
Appearances in Tour de France
[edit]Col de la Loze was the summit finish for stage 17 of the 2020 Tour de France,[12] which was won by Colombian rider Miguel Ángel López.[13] The stage included an ascent of the Col de la Madeleine, which was not in the Tour de l'Avenir stage.[1][12] The climb up to Col de la Loze was 21.5 kilometres (13.4 mi) long, with an average gradient of 7.5%[12] and a maximum gradient of 24%.[14] The route followed the former path of a 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) ski lift access road used by mechanics.[15] The ascent started in Brides-les-Bains and passed through Méribel, before turning onto the new path up to Col de la Loze.[16] The finish point was the highest point of the 2020 Tour.[16] Col de la Loze was one of two new summit finishes at the Tour, the other one being Grand Colombier.[1] It featured again in the 2023 edition, with the finish taking place at the Courchevel Altiport,[17] and next appeared in the 2025 Tour de France, being won by Ben O'Connor.[18]
| Year | Stage | Category | Start | Finish | Leader at the summit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 17 | HC | Grenoble | Méribel (Col de la Loze) |  Miguel Ángel López (COL) |
| 2023 | 17 | HC | Saint-Gervais-les-Bains | Courchevel |  Felix Gall (AUT) |
| 2025 | 18 | HC | Vif | Courchevel (Col de la Loze) |  Ben O'Connor (AUS) |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Farrand, Stephen (15 October 2019). "Tour de France 2020 route revealed". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Gallotti, Annabelle (12 May 2019). "Une nouvelle route d'altitude dédiée aux cyclistes à Courchevel". France Bleu (in French). Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ↑ Coxen, Adam; Hutchinson, Hugh; Goring, Jeremy (2005). Snow-Finder France. Wavefinder Limited. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-9581726-9-1.
- 1 2 Leocha, Charles (2007). Ski Snowboard Europe. World Leisure Corporation. ISBN 978-0-915009-86-2.
- ↑ "Les 3 Vallées Openings/Closings of Slopes and Lifts Live Timing". Les Trois Vallées. Archived from the original on 26 March 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ↑ Auzias, Dominique; Labourdette, Jean-Paul (2019). Alpes 2019/2020 Petit Futé (in French). Le Petit Futé. ISBN 978-2-305-01410-4.
- 1 2 Aspden, Lucy (6 June 2019). "Ski resorts battle with walls of snow in rush to clear roads for summer". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- 1 2 3 "Col de la Loze : nouvel itinéraire cycliste". Le Dauphiné libéré (in French). 8 October 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ↑ "France - Top Bike Climbs". PJAMMcycling.com. PJAMM Cycling.
- ↑ "Col de la Loze Bike Climb: Cycling the French Alps". pjammcycling.com. PJAMM Cycling.
- 1 2 "Première course cycliste au "nouveau" col de la Loze". Le Dauphiné libéré (in French). 14 May 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Hood, Andrew (17 October 2019). "New giant of the Alps could play kingmaker in 2020 Tour". VeloNews. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ↑ "Tour de France stage 17: Miguel Angel Lopez wins, Primoz Roglic stretches lead". BBC Sport. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ↑ "Tour de France riders react: Just how hard was the Col de la Loze". Cycling Weekly. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ↑ "Tour de France 2020 route includes 'crazy' new summit". The Connexion. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- 1 2 Henrys, Colin (18 October 2019). "8 key climbs from the 2020 Tour de France: Epic ascents to watch or ride". Bike Radar. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
- ↑ Backet, Adam (2 July 2023). "Tour de France 2023 route: Every stage of the 110th edition in detail". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ↑ "2025 112th Tour de France (2.UWT), Stage 18, Vif-›Courchevel (Col de la Loze) (171.5km)". Retrieved 24 July 2025.