The Matheysine plateau begins where the southern outskirts of Grenoble end and the Route Napoléon climbs out of the Romanche valley toward Laffrey. Within thirty kilometres of the city the road traffic thins, the surrounding peaks reorganise themselves into the Vercors and the Dévoluy massifs, and the cycling becomes some of the highest-quality and least-trafficked road riding in the French Alps. Stage 2 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes rode through here today.
La Mure sits at the southern end of the plateau, 35 kilometres from Grenoble, at the foot of the Col du Festre and the Col du Noyer. It is the natural base for a 2–3 day cycling trip into the Trièves country south of Grenoble. The town has the basic infrastructure — bike shop, supermarket, three hotels, several cafés — and minimal tourist crowding outside July and August.
The Climbs
Col du Festre (Cat 1, 12.4km @ 7.1%). The decisive climb of today's Stage 2 finale. The Festre rises from the Drac valley on a wide, well-surfaced D-road that has the rare combination of consistently graded ramps and almost no traffic. The middle section pushes 8.5% for three kilometres. The summit opens onto the high pastures of the Dévoluy and the long descent into La Mure.
Col du Noyer (Cat 1, 10.5km @ 6.6%). A pass that connects La Mure to the Champsaur valley over a 1,664m summit. The Noyer has a wider, slower-rolling character than the Festre — more sustained pedalling, less of the steep punctuation. Cycling clubs use it as a tempo climb. From the summit, the descent into Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur opens the back door into the Hautes-Alpes.
Col d'Ornon (Cat 2, 11.1km @ 5.7%). A gentler climb that connects the Romanche to the Bourg-d'Oisans valley via Le Périer. The Ornon is the standard warm-up route for cyclists training out of Bourg-d'Oisans for Alpe d'Huez or the Galibier. Not steep, not unreasonable in heat, useful for endurance volume.
Côte de Laffrey. The "Rampe de Laffrey" — the section of the Route Napoléon that descends from the Matheysine plateau into the Romanche valley — has a reverse profile that climbs from Pont-Haut to the Laffrey crossroads in roughly 7 kilometres at a consistent 6%. The descent from Laffrey is one of the most-photographed mountain road profiles in France: four hairpins in a single visible frame, with Grenoble visible far below in the valley.
A 3-Day Itinerary from La Mure
Day 1: Festre + Noyer loop (~140km, ~3,100m). La Mure → Corps → Col du Festre (via the same finale Stage 2 rode today) → descend to Saint-Étienne-en-Dévoluy → climb the Col du Noyer → descend to Saint-Bonnet → back to La Mure via Corps. The full loop touches both passes Stage 2 used and brings in the Champsaur side of the Dévoluy. Reverse the direction depending on wind preference.
Day 2: Trièves loop (~90km, ~1,800m). La Mure → Saint-Sébastien → Mens → Clelles → Col de l'Allimas → Saint-Michel-les-Portes → return via Pont-de-Mens. The Trièves valley between the Vercors and the Dévoluy is the quieter alternative to Day 1. Mens is a small market town with a Wednesday morning farmers' market. The Allimas is a Cat 2 that climbs through forest to a saddle with views into the Vercors limestone walls.
Day 3: Lac de Laffrey + Ornon (~110km, ~2,400m). Out from La Mure via the four lakes of Laffrey → descend the Rampe de Laffrey → Bourg-d'Oisans → climb the Col d'Ornon → return via Valbonnais. The Laffrey lakes section is mostly flat tempo, popular with local cyclists in the early mornings, before the steep climbing of the Ornon.
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Base. La Mure has three useable hotels and several gîtes. The Hôtel de la Mure (town centre) and the Auberge du Festre (closer to the Stage 2 finish road) are the practical options for cyclists. Both accept bike storage. A new gîte d'étape opened in 2024 in Pierre-Châtel — 8km north — that specifically targets cyclists.
Bike rental. The closest bike rental for road bikes is in Bourg-d'Oisans (45km away). Locally, La Mure has a small bike shop with rental e-bikes only — not adequate for serious touring. Plan to bring your own bike or rent in Grenoble.
Approach. Grenoble airport (GNB) is 45 minutes from La Mure by car. Lyon-Saint-Exupéry (LYS) is 90 minutes. Both offer rental cars with bike-rack hire. By train, Grenoble to La Mure is no longer direct — the historic railway closed in 2020 — so the practical link is rental car or local bus.
Conditions. The Festre and the Noyer open by late May and stay rideable through October. Above 1,500m the temperature drops 8–10°C below valley conditions; bring a packable jacket for descents. The plateau is windy. The Trièves is sheltered.
When to Ride
Late May through September is the open window. The first two weeks of June (around the Tour Auvergne) and the first two weeks of September are the quietest local weeks. July and August bring the Tour de France caravan and weekend day-trippers from Grenoble — still very rideable, just busier on weekend mornings. Avoid weekends in the second half of July if quiet is the priority.
For today's Stage 2 race coverage from La Mure, see our Tour Auvergne Stage 2 field report. For the Stage 1 prologue coverage from Vizille, see our Stage 1 field report.