Tuesday 4th July. Arrival day

Arrive to Clermont Ferrand by 7pm for arrival briefing. A transfer from Lyon (arrive by 2pm) to Clermont Ferrand is included in this Loop.

Wednesday 5^th July 2023. Stage 11 – Clermont Ferrand to Moulins – 180km

 The Tour has promised “recurrent leg-breaking climbs” for stage 11 – good good!

So although the route doesn’t pass through any mountains as such, it’s still far from flat. That said, it’s an absolute gem of a stage with super quiet roads, sweeping descents, plenty of visual interest and a lovely finish town.

Expect steep ups and downs as we leave green and spiky volcanic terrain of the Auvergne, and expect a variation on the same theme as the landscape evolves and we find ourselves in a region of quiet farmland and ancient oak forests. We pass through Montluçon (birthplace of 1956 Tour winner Roger Walkowiak and also home to some splendid medieval architecture) to remind ourselves what cities look like… and then, the icing on the cake is a 25km super-fast run in to Moulins which has never before hosted the Tour; expect festivities and excellent street decorations as you reflect on another unexpectedly gorgeous stage.

Le Loop Logistics
Start: Clermont Ferrand hotel
Finish: Moulins hotel

Thursday 6^th July 2023. Stage 12 – Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais – 169km

Today’s ride winds its way through Charolais countryside (as in Charolais cows and Charollais sheep; today’s photos will be animal-heavy) and ends up in beautiful Beaujolais where we’ll be treated to vineyards, wild flowers and views as far as the eye can see. Seeing out from historic Roanne, the climbing begins almost immediately – relatively gentle at first but soon the hills get steeper, the climbs get longer, and before you know it, we’re in wine country. Although few of today’s roads will be flat, the big showpiece climbs will be the afternoon triple; 3 climbs, all with gradients of around 6-7% (but sometimes 10-12%) and all on quiet roads with lovely tarmac. The last of the three is the col de la Croix Rosier which is a 7km joy-climb with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside at the top. Your reward for making it up all those climbs is the cruisy descent into the Saône valley, intercepting the “route des vins” a few times and spotting plenty of famous Beaujolais vineyard names as we pass by Julienas, Fleurie & Chiroubles to name but three. Surely this evening you’ve earned your glass of red?

Le Loop Logistics
Start: Transfer to Roanne
Finish: Belleville en Beaujolais hotel

Friday 7^th July 2023. Stage 13 – Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier – 138km

This is a Big Name Day but don’t let the excitement (trepidation?) of the Grand Colombier distract you from the beauty of the preceding 120km…

To start with Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne is a charming medieval town, also the Jura are genuinely breath taking mountains and top that off with some of the nicest descents of the Tour. If you cycle this stage, you’re in for a lot of lovely surprises.

Happily, on this stage we get to warm up gently, crossing the Saone valley as the Jura get ever closer. The green meadows and dramatic rocky outcrops lead us to the first (of two) big climb of the day -up onto the Hautville-Lompnes plateau (it’s high – you can ski here), famed since the 1920s for its health-giving fresh air (seriously). A long descent sweeps us down towards Culoz, the starting point for our second (massive) climb. Grand Colombier is always a treat when it appears in the Tour de France – it’s a steep, challenging road (17.4km at 7.1%, but touching 12% in places), with some of the most photogenic hairpins you’ll find anywhere and views out over the Rhône river and Lac Bourget (plus Lac d’Annecy, Lake Geneva, the Alps and even Mt Blanc if you’re lucky). Stunning!

Le Loop Logistics
Start: Belleville en Beaujolais hotel or transfer to Chatillon sur Chalaronne (TBC)
Finish: Transfer to Annemasse

Saturday 8^th July 2023. Stage 14 – Annemasse to Morzine – 152km

This stage packs an almost unbelievable 4,100m of climbing into its relatively short length, with six major cols, and barely a kilometre of flat road. There’ll be views of Lac Léman (that’s Lake Geneva to the anglophones) as we pull away from Annemasse, but we’ll more likely be focused on the climbing ahead starting with the relatively benign Col de Saxel – it’s a gentle ascent through forests and meadows and nice warm-up for what’s to come. Next up is the Col de Cou (7km at 7.4%), quickly followed by the Col du Feu (5.8km at 7.8%) and the relatively trouble-free Col de Jambaz. We then enjoy a long descent, with a scenic balcony section (will you interrupt the descent to top for photos?), down to Mieussy – and then it gets serious, with a 14km ascent of the Col de Ramaz, which claims an average gradient of 7.1%, but definitely has a 12% section in there somewhere. This monster climb takes us up above the treeline, before sending us down into the busy valley of Samoens, where we embark on our final challenge – the 1,691m Col de Joux Plane (11.6km at 8.5%). Some might find it difficult to relish this final ascent because your legs will be weary, but there’s a beautiful lake at the top, a blessed downhill finish into Morzine and the knowledge that you just cycled stage 14 (the Etape du Tour stage) of the actual Tour de France.

Le Loop Logistics
Start: Annemasse hotel
Finish: Morzine hotel

Sunday 9^th July 2023. Stage 15 – Les Gets to Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc – 180km

There are some tricky gradients in today’s stage (few of us will enjoy the 17% section during the final climb up to Saint-Gervais for example) but they are amply compensated for by some of the finest scenery the Alps have to offer. We have an easy start, with 30km of downhill or flat before we tuck into the 920m Col des Fleuries, which takes us over the hills to Annecy. Once there we roll alongside the heavenly blue lake for 10km, en route to the first serious climb of the day – the Col de la Forclaz. We have gorgeous views of the lake as we catch our breath at the top, and then it’s onwards (briefly downwards), and upwards over the Col du Marais and the Col de la Croix Fry, lined with pretty wooden chalets that will make you want to park your bike and live here forever. There’s a shallower drag up to Megève from Flumet, and then the real fun begins – a fast descent down to Domancy, and then a really steep climb up towards Saint-Gervais, with the hardest section coming early on, to ensure that, after 4,300m of climbing, your legs really are finished by the time you reach the top. One week later the pros will be here, making history on the exact same climbs and their legs will be finished too!

Le Loop Logistics
Start: Morzine hotel
Finish: St Gervais hotel (3 night stay)

Monday 10^th July 2023

Rest Day in Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc

Tuesday 11^th July 2023. Stage 16 –  Passy to Combloux – 22km

 This stage is short but significant and still involves over 650 metres of ascent (which actually ends up being 850 due to our ride starting and finishing at hour hotel – that also adds 15km to the distance). After a meander through the ski town of Sallanches in the shadow of Mont Blanc, it’s a short sharp climb up the Côte de Domancy (just 2.5km but at an average of 9.4%). The road is pretty and winding and the mountain views get better and better. We end the stage in Combloux admiring the jagged horizon that surrounds the town – and then enjoy the short cycle back to our hotel in time for lunch.

Whether you go for it so that you can compare your strava time with the pros next week, or take it easy and chill out in the mountains, it’s a great ride that will definitely feel like a cycling day, not another rest day.

Le Loop Logistics
Start: St Gervais hotel
Finish: St Gervais hotel

Wednesday 12^th July 2023. Stage 17 – Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc to Courchevel – 166km

If ever there were a headliner, this is it – more than 5,000 metres of climbing, and Le Loop’s first ascent of the awe-inspiring Col de la Loze. (The Tour went over it for the first time in 2020 when we couldn’t). But before we reach this 2,304m behemoth, we have three other long climbs to enjoy. After a gentle roll past the meadows of Megève (views, views, views), we have the beautiful climb of the Col des Saisies – 13.3km at 5.3% (honestly, 5.3% is quite manageable; you’ll be moving happily rather than griding slowly) – and a descent to the pretty little town of Beaufort. From here it’s a Tour de France classic: the glorious Lac de Roselend, with its iconic waterside chapel, and the road zig-zagging on up the mountain to the 1,968m Cormet. After a rock-and-roll descent down to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, we cruise along the Isère valley for a bit, ascend the Côte de Longfoy, whizz down a ridiculous number of hairpins, and steel ourselves for the big one. Col de la Loze involves almost 30km of ascent, the gradient varies constantly, and there’s a stretch of 24% in the final 5km – but it’s open only to cyclists, the tarmac is perfection, and it’ll be a high point in more ways than one. You’ll be smiling all the way down to Courchevel.

 Le Loop Logistics
Start: St Gervais hotel
Finish: Courchevel hotel

Thursday 13^th July: Departure day

Depart Courchevel hotel. A transfer from Courchevel (dept 9am) to Geneva airport is included in this Loop.

Stage profiles: All available stage profiles are displayed on our Route page. The Tour de France publish maps and profiles for every stage in June. Until then we have profiles for the mountain stages and the most significant climbs only.