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The Etape du Tour is the classic sportive of the year. This year we are back in the Alps in the less ridden Southern Alps with a route heading south from Briancon. We rode the route the day it was announced, make no mistake this is a challenging edition of the Etape. Considerably longer than recent routes, there is a lot of false flats and leg softening sections before the two big climbs hit. The climax is the mighty Col d'Izoard which arrives after 160km. Expect some pain but glory awaits at the top.
The route is pretty circular (it is a descent albeit a long one back to Briancon) so logistically much easier than recent Etapes. From Briancon there are some great warm up rides so this should be a great cycling weekend.
We rode the route in mid October. For a full report on that check out this page -
The route starts quick with a long flat / descending road for over 50km to the stunning Lac de Serre Poncon. From there the first lumps of the day come with some steeper sections. While there are only 2 major climbs, there are plenty of long false flats to soften the legs over this pretty long stage.
The two climbs are both challenging. Both have flatter sections making their top line numbers a bit misleading. Parts of the Vars are virtually flat, but then there are a couple of very tough kilometres. The final climb comes after a long gentle incline along a gorge. The scenery and the road will have you breathless. Save your energy for the last 7km and then celebrate your achievement at this most special of Tour climbs, the Col d'Izoard.
A classic route full of dramatic changes of scenery, long gentle descends and false flats culminating in two climbs over 2,000m and a historic finish for a Tour stage.
Distance: 178 Km. Elevation: 4000 M.
The 2017 sportive will be the 24th year of the Etape
Christophe Rinero was fastest at the first ever Etape. Five years later he finished 4th in the Tour de France!
In the last 10 years, there have been 5 Etapes in the Pyrenees and 5 in the Alps (on two occasions there were two sportives in the same year).
Briancon is a long drive from the UK so flying is a preferred option. if driving, check the road from Bourg d'Oisan as this has had a lot of closures over the last couple of years.
The nearest airport is in Italy. Turin airport is just under 2 hours away. There are limited flights to Turin. Further afield, Lyon airport is just under 3 hours and Geneva is about the same. As ever with the Etape, if you can avoid flying the Friday before the event we would recommend it as the airports in the UK get overwhelmed with the hundreds of bike boxes.
Upon purchasing your entry here, we will send instructions to register on the ASO website. Approx 2 weeks before the Etape you will get a Convocation on the ASO website. You will need a print out of this & a signed medical certificate (we will send a template to take to your doctor). Registrations are at the start village and will be open the two days before the sportive.
Finish time likely to be 7am. The start goes off in stages depending on your race number.
There are two parts to Briancon - the charming old town up the hill and the new town below. The old town has the charm and history, the new town is more convenient. Either way, this is the best option in our opinion for the Etape weekend and is a fantastic base for cyclists and non riders.
Just 5km along the valley floor from Briancon is the ski resort of Chantemerle. This is a charming town with bars, restaurants and shops but still a very short ride / drive from Briancon. The road to the race village is flat so it should be a fairly comfortable ride back even with 178km in your legs.
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