On a glorious early spring day i took to my road bike and cycled up Alpe d’Huez. For more information on the climb please visit my Cycling Alpe d’Huez for Plan-uk.org website.
I tried out a new route today for potential clients that consisted of the climb up Alpe d’Huez and then a descent to bend 16 and the small village of La Garde en Oisans (where a spring is located to fill up your bidons). I then traversed across and up again on one of the high single lane mountain roads (the D211) through le Vernis to Le Freney d’Oisans. This is part of the route that the Marco Pantani Cycling Sportive follows in August – and is a tough end after 130 or so kilometres in the saddle and before the final climb up to Les Deux Alpes.
Once I had descended the D211 into Freney – (note some nice switchbacks that would be great to climb the other way) – I followed the road back to Bourg d’Oisans. Again this road from Freney to to Bourg d’Oisans is used for the start of the Marco Pantani Cycling Sportive and also the last part of La Marmotte.
Tags: Alpe D'Huez, Cycle Sportives, Cycling Alpe d'Huez in March, Freney d'Oisans, La Marmotte, Le Vernis, Les Deux Alpes, Marco Pantani, Marco Pantani Memorial Cycling Sportive, Oisans
