Alpe d'Huez by car for cycling trip
Discussion
Merry Xmas everyone... are there any road cyclists on here?
Me and some buddies are planning to drive to Alpe D'Huez in late April for cycling, and en-route. We're travelling from Plymouth, so Roscoff to Alpe d'Huez.
Our first stop is Le Mans to ride around the Circuit de Sarthe, but after that it's google maps research.
Has anyone ever done something like this and can recommend any good stops along the way?
HNY
Me and some buddies are planning to drive to Alpe D'Huez in late April for cycling, and en-route. We're travelling from Plymouth, so Roscoff to Alpe d'Huez.
Our first stop is Le Mans to ride around the Circuit de Sarthe, but after that it's google maps research.
Has anyone ever done something like this and can recommend any good stops along the way?
HNY
I've been twice with groups of friends, but via the tunnel. Travel from Devon to Folkstone is the worst part, especially the return leg. We have never tried to make the journey into anything as we've always packed it into a Thursday-Monday and want to get in as much riding as possible. First time we stayed at La Grave/Deux Alps, second at a chalet in Bourg saint Maurice.
I did something similar in my 911 with a road bike in the back. Drove to Mt Ventoux, picked up Route Napoleon for the best bit to the south to Nice (for Col de la Madone etc) and back to the Channel via Route des Grandes Alpes and the Galibier. (I'd actually started in the Pyrenees for the Tourmalet, then Girona but that's not relevant, except that my Strava ascent stats were skewed for that fortnight.)
If you're starting from Roscoff and presumably carrying bikes with you, I'd certainly do the Mûr-de-Bretagne, which is on the 2025 Tour route. Stacks of great riding in Brittany. Then I'd suggest doing Ventoux since it's almost on the way and is a really nice loop/up-and-down. There are some great roads around there but I'd have to check Harry's Garage for their names.
As for Alpe d'Huez, you'll be cutting it fine as to whether it's open or rideable in late April. I don't know the details but I'd guess it depends on the snow season. The further south you go the better.
If you're starting from Roscoff and presumably carrying bikes with you, I'd certainly do the Mûr-de-Bretagne, which is on the 2025 Tour route. Stacks of great riding in Brittany. Then I'd suggest doing Ventoux since it's almost on the way and is a really nice loop/up-and-down. There are some great roads around there but I'd have to check Harry's Garage for their names.
As for Alpe d'Huez, you'll be cutting it fine as to whether it's open or rideable in late April. I don't know the details but I'd guess it depends on the snow season. The further south you go the better.
corroded said:
I did something similar in my 911 with a road bike in the back. Drove to Mt Ventoux, picked up Route Napoleon for the best bit to the south to Nice (for Col de la Madone etc) and back to the Channel via Route des Grandes Alpes and the Galibier. (I'd actually started in the Pyrenees for the Tourmalet, then Girona but that's not relevant, except that my Strava ascent stats were skewed for that fortnight.)
If you're starting from Roscoff and presumably carrying bikes with you, I'd certainly do the Mûr-de-Bretagne, which is on the 2025 Tour route. Stacks of great riding in Brittany. Then I'd suggest doing Ventoux since it's almost on the way and is a really nice loop/up-and-down. There are some great roads around there but I'd have to check Harry's Garage for their names.
As for Alpe d'Huez, you'll be cutting it fine as to whether it's open or rideable in late April. I don't know the details but I'd guess it depends on the snow season. The further south you go the better.
Thanks! Great ideas. I'll research Alpe again. I'm sure I did it before we booked travel and I was cool with timings, but maybe Ventoux is better bet. If you're starting from Roscoff and presumably carrying bikes with you, I'd certainly do the Mûr-de-Bretagne, which is on the 2025 Tour route. Stacks of great riding in Brittany. Then I'd suggest doing Ventoux since it's almost on the way and is a really nice loop/up-and-down. There are some great roads around there but I'd have to check Harry's Garage for their names.
As for Alpe d'Huez, you'll be cutting it fine as to whether it's open or rideable in late April. I don't know the details but I'd guess it depends on the snow season. The further south you go the better.
We did a similar trip last year (2023!) but rented a house in Crolle which is just up the valley from Grenoble. There was two of us cycling but five others, so compromised on location for easier access to Grenoble and Annecy., . It just meant the day we rode the Alpe we drove to Bourg d'Oisans. However, there is some great riding around Grenoble and it's off the beaten track somewhat. I had a solo day and climbed up into the Chartreuse. Beautiful area, some decent climbs (I did Col du Granier, Col du Cucheron, Col de Porte) and very quiet. Another day we rode in to Grenoble to meet the others for lunch, so I nipped up the climb to the Bastille. Absolute beast of climb
https://veloviewer.com/segments/644240?
Anyway, we got the ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg (should have been Le Havre but we had to change as the ferry broke). We stopped for the night in the Morvan regional park. We had planned to get out on the bikes from the auberge we stayed at but it was raining pretty hard, so had a quick walk round the hamlet and started on the beers instead
We stayed here:
https://www.lavieilleaubergedulac.com/
The evening meal in the restaurant was really good and it left about 4 hours to drive down to Crolles on the Saturday morning.
https://veloviewer.com/segments/644240?
Anyway, we got the ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg (should have been Le Havre but we had to change as the ferry broke). We stopped for the night in the Morvan regional park. We had planned to get out on the bikes from the auberge we stayed at but it was raining pretty hard, so had a quick walk round the hamlet and started on the beers instead
We stayed here:
https://www.lavieilleaubergedulac.com/
The evening meal in the restaurant was really good and it left about 4 hours to drive down to Crolles on the Saturday morning.
Don't get too excited about riding the Circuit and it's not always possible to sneak in the circuit section the Bugatti circuit is often in use.
It can be busy down the Mulsanne. On the upside there's some good riding around locally.
Mount Ventoux and the Gorge de la Nesque are bucket list rides.![](https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/175727/20241231434892?resize=720[/img]</a> <a href="https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/175727/202412314381014" Target="_blank" >[img]https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/175727/202412314381014?resize=720)
It can be busy down the Mulsanne. On the upside there's some good riding around locally.
Mount Ventoux and the Gorge de la Nesque are bucket list rides.
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