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Climbing the Grand Colombier: The Ain's Hardest Summit and the Bugey's Best Secret
The Grand Colombier sits at 1,501 metres in the Bugey limestone plateau of the Ain department — a summit that has terrorised Tour de France and Critérium du Dauphiné pelotons for decades, and one that visiting cyclists consistently underestimate because the Ain doesn't have the Alps' marketing budget. Here's how to ride it.
By ZealZag TeamTour Auvergne Stage 7: The Grand Colombier and the Race Before the Race
Stage 7 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes sends the peloton from La Bridoire to the Grand Colombier summit — 8.4 kilometres at 10.2 percent, a finish so steep it forces every rider within striking distance of Luke Tuckwell's yellow jersey to show their cards a day before the finale.
By ZealZag Team
Ride the Dauphine: A Cyclist's Guide to the French Alps' Greatest Race Route
The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes queen stage packs 4,000m of climbing into 120km across the Aravis range. Our route guide covers the Grand Colombier, Plateau de Solaison, and how to base your trip in the French Alps.
By ZealZag Team
Cycling the Dauphiné: Grand Colombier, Solaison, and the Aravis in Haute-Savoie
The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes sends the peloton over the Grand Colombier HC and Plateau de Solaison HC — two of the hardest and least touristed climbs in the French Alps. Here's how to ride them, when to go, and where to base yourself.
By ZealZag Team
Critérium du Dauphiné 2026: Seixas, Del Toro and Van Aert Battle for Solaison
Paul Seixas leads the next generation into the renamed Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (June 7–14) — a wide-open GC battle over the Grand Colombier and Plateau de Solaison that will crown a Tour de France contender.
By ZealZag Team