The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes — formerly the Critérium du Dauphiné — begins in Vizille on Sunday and finishes eight days later at the Plateau de Solaison in the Aravis mountains. For recreational cyclists who want to ride the same roads as the world's best stage racers, the routes in this race sit at the intersection of accessibility and genuine challenge. None of the climbs are extreme novelties; all of them are serious, beautiful, and set in the most cycling-friendly region of the French Alps.
The race's two defining stages — Stage 7's Grand Colombier and Stage 8's Beaufort-to-Solaison Queen Stage — are both rideable by well-prepared athletes, and both belong on the shortlist of the best days a cyclist can spend in France.
Here is how to ride them.
The Grand Colombier (Stage 7 Finale)
The Grand Colombier sits in the Ain department, east of the Jura mountains and west of the proper Alps — a mountain in the transition zone between the two ranges that is somehow harder than most peaks in either. Its summit at 1,534m is not exceptional altitude. Its gradient is exceptional.
From Virieu-le-Petit (Lacets du Grand Colombier, 7km @ 8.4%): The most scenic approach. The road climbs through a series of tight switchbacks carved into the hillside, each turn opening a progressively wider view across the Ain valley and the Belley basin below. This is the first ascent the professionals encounter on Stage 7 — the "warm-up" Colombier, if a climb averaging 8.4% for seven kilometres qualifies as a warm-up. The switchback section (the Lacets) is visible from below as a series of hairpins on the face of the mountain. From the saddle, each one is a short wall of 10–12% that demands a reduction in pace before the road eases fractionally into the next section.
From Culoz (Grand Colombier HC, 8.4km @ 10.2%): The main event. This approach from the Rhône valley below Culoz averages 10.2% over 8.4 kilometres. There is no long section of recovery on the Culoz side — the gradient remains consistently above 9% for the bulk of the climb with two or three sections exceeding 14%. At WorldTour racing pace on Stage 7, this final climb will produce the race's most significant general classification time gaps. In training or touring mode, it earns genuine respect.
At the summit, the Colombier opens into a high pasture plateau with views west to the Alps-Maritime ridge and east to Mont Blanc on clear days. A small bar operates in summer.
How to ride the Colombier for yourself: The logical route is to descend the Lacets side after climbing from Culoz (or vice versa) as part of a loop from Belley or Culoz town. Belley offers accommodation and a usable cycling infrastructure for multi-day training in the Ain.
From Lyon (75km): Drive northeast to Belley, park at the base, ride the loop. Day trip possible from Lyon. From Grenoble: two hours by car to Culoz.
The Queen Stage Climbs: Beaufort to Plateau de Solaison
Stage 8 covers 120 kilometres and 4,000 metres of elevation from the market town of Beaufort — at the entrance to the Beaufortain valley — to the Plateau de Solaison in the Aravis range. The professional race will take 3h30 to 4h00. A well-prepared recreational rider allows five to seven hours.
Col du Pré (6.9km @ 10.1%): The first major climb of Stage 8 ascends from the Beaufortain valley toward the Roselend reservoir dam. The road climbs consistently and steeply — an average of 10.1% — through forest that gives way to open alpine pasture near the summit. The Roselend reservoir, visible from the upper section, sits in one of the most photogenic cirques in Savoie. The road is occasionally used as a Giro or Tour de France stage approach and is maintained accordingly.
Montée de Bisanne (11.4km @ 7.7%): The longest individual climb in Stage 8 and the one most likely to shed riders from the front group in the professional race. 11.4km at 7.7% is not as fierce as the Col du Pré but it is unrelenting — there are no significant flat sections and the consistent gradient accumulates over nearly an hour at WorldTour climbing pace. The summit ski area of Bisanne 1500 offers a small café. In June, snow may still be visible on the adjacent peaks.
Col des Aravis (1,486m, approximately 6km @ 5% from La Clusaz): The transition pass linking the Beaufortain to the Aravis valley. The race approaches from the descent of Bisanne toward La Giettaz, then climbs to the Col des Aravis — a photogenic notch in the limestone Aravis ridge with views of Mont Blanc to the east (weather permitting). The Aravis is a popular cycling pass and generally well-paved. Below the col on the La Clusaz side, the town provides an excellent café and resupply stop.
Plateau de Solaison (11.5km @ 8.9%): The Queen Stage finale. The Plateau de Solaison rises from the floor of the Aravis valley above La Clusaz on a road that arrives at an unsurfaced, high-altitude plateau used for summer cattle pasture and winter skiing at the Croix-Fry/Solaison ski area. The climb averages 8.9% over 11.5 kilometres — harder than the Col du Pré but at greater altitude, which compounds the fatigue. The steepest sections approach 12–14%. The road surface is good quality up to approximately the 8km mark; the final section entering the plateau is rougher and requires wider tyres on a loaded gravel-type bike.
At the summit, the plateau opens into a wide mountain tableland at around 1,500–1,600m. Mont Blanc is visible on clear days. The stage finish line will be somewhere in the final 500m of road before the plateau gates.
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Join ZealZagFollow us on InstagramCombining the Stages: A Week in the Aravis
The most rewarding approach to riding this race's routes is to base yourself in the Aravis range and tick the climbs across a week:
Day 1 (arrival): Drive from Lyon or Geneva. Settle into La Clusaz or Beaufort. Short spin on the lower Aravis valley roads to shake off travel.
Day 2: Col des Aravis and Montée de Bisanne. Return via La Giettaz. 80km, 2,800m.
Day 3: Col du Pré and the Roselend reservoir loop. Beaufort → Col du Pré → Roselend → Bourg-Saint-Maurice descent optional → return via valley. 100km, 2,400m if completed.
Day 4: Rest day. La Clusaz has a good café culture. Mont Blanc is visible from the village when clear. The Aravis ridge walk (on foot) takes 3h from La Giettaz.
Day 5: Plateau de Solaison. Climb from La Clusaz, descend, repeat the climb at threshold. This is the race simulation day. Expect 2–3 hours of climbing effort across two ascents.
Day 6: Travel day to Ain for the Grand Colombier. Overnight in Belley.
Day 7: Grand Colombier loop from Belley or Culoz — Culoz approach, Lacets descent, valley return. 90km, 2,200m.
Getting There
Lyon-Saint Exupéry (LYS): The primary hub for Aravis and Ain destination cycling. Direct flights from London, Amsterdam, Madrid, Frankfurt, New York (seasonal), Toronto (seasonal). Car hire at terminal.
Geneva (GVA): 80 minutes from La Clusaz by car. Excellent for athletes coming from the UK, northern Europe, or connecting from long-haul.
Grenoble (GNB): A smaller airport with European connections. 2h from La Clusaz by car but closer to Vizille and the race start area.
By train: Paris Gare de Lyon to Annecy (3h30 on TGV); Annecy to La Clusaz by local bus or taxi (45 minutes). Annecy is an excellent cycling base in its own right with road access to most of the Stage 8 climbs.
Accommodation
La Clusaz is the ideal base for the Queen Stage climbs. The ski village has year-round accommodation — chalets, apartments, and hotels — from €80 to €250 per night in summer. Book early for June (the ski infrastructure is not running, so summer accommodation is tighter than peak ski season).
Beaufort is quieter and more authentically Savoyard — a market town famous for its cheese (Beaufort d'alpage is one of France's great alpine cheeses). Accommodation is simpler and less expensive than La Clusaz. The town sits at the base of the Col du Pré approach.
Belley for the Grand Colombier day: a modest Ain town with adequate hotels and a useful cycling hub status. The Café du Colombier near Culoz has the best post-climb coffee in the area.
Gear and Bike Setup
The Queen Stage requires a compact or subcompact chainset. The sustained 10%+ gradients on Col du Pré and Solaison will tax any rider on a standard 52/34 with an 11-28 cassette. A 50/34 with a 32 or 34 cassette is the recommended minimum. If you're climbing 4,000m in a day, there is no shame in the lowest available gear.
Tyre width: 25-28mm minimum for the Plateau de Solaison final section. The rougher road surface at altitude rewards tyre width.
Nutrition: The Grand Colombier has one summit café and nothing else. The Queen Stage route passes through La Giettaz and La Clusaz (both with shops). For the Col du Pré and Bisanne, there is no commercial food available between Beaufort and the respective summits. Carry 3–4 hours of food from the base, always.
FAQ
How hard is the Queen Stage for a recreational cyclist? Very hard. 4,000m of climbing in 120km with four categorised climbs, including two HC efforts, at altitude is a serious day's work for even a well-trained recreational cyclist. Allow six to seven hours. Start very early (06:00–07:00) to account for afternoon thunderstorm risk at altitude in June-July.
Is the Grand Colombier accessible without a guide? Yes. The climbs are paved, public roads with moderate traffic outside race days. GPS navigation is recommended; the Lacets du Grand Colombier section requires one turn onto an unmarked road from the valley floor. Cyclemaps.net and Strava route maps cover both approaches with detail.
What is the best single-day ride in the area for a tourist cyclist? The Col des Aravis loop from La Clusaz — climb to the pass, descend to Thônes or La Clusaz via the valley, optional café stop at the Aravis summit bar. 40km, 900m of climbing, spectacular limestone scenery, manageable for a fit recreational cyclist in half a day.
Can I ride during the race? No. On Stage 7 and Stage 8 race days (June 13 and 14, 2026), road closures apply from approximately two hours before the race start until the final riders clear the stage. Roads are reopened in segments. Check local authority notifications in Ain and Savoie-Mont Blanc for specific closure windows and detour information.
For the pre-race preview and key rider analysis, see our Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes 2026 preview. For stage racing training methodology to prepare for rides like the Queen Stage, see our Grand Tour training guide.
