The inaugural Haute Route Alpe d’Huez will take place from Wednesday 12th to Friday 14th of July 2017. It will start with an individual Time Trial on the Wednesday afternoon, followed by two classic mountain stages in true Haute Route fashion. Riders can expect a total of 250km and 8,000m of climbing over the three days.
Race director Jean-François Alcan expressed his delight at this new event:
“The Haute Route Alps has visited Alpe d’Huez several times since 2011, and we are excited to return once again. Alpe d’Huez is one of the global capitals of cycling, having a three day event here will provide a unique experience for amateur cyclists every year,” he said.
The Haute Route Alpe d’Huez will present a stern challenge for riders. The Time Trial on the Wednesday from Bourg-d’Oisans to Alpe d’Huez will cover the famous 14km and 21 switchbacks that are embedded in cycling folklore. The second and third days will take riders over some of the most famous climbs in the surrounding Alps with between 3,000 and 4,000 metres of climbing each day. All three of the ascents leading to the summit of Alpe d’Huez – Bourg d’Oisans, Villard-Reculas and Col de Sarenne – will be ridden during the three-day event.
The dates for the inaugural event fit perfectly into the summer cyclosportive calendar. The decision to organise the Haute Route Alpe d’Huez from the Wednesday to Friday will allow some riders to take part in other events the preceding or following weekend.
Recently voted the “Best ski resort in Europe 2017” at the annual European Best Destinations ceremony, Alpe d’Huez has a huge variety of accommodation options (hotels, holiday centres, gîtes, chalets) and high quality facilities that will enable riders to recover between each stage.
Alpe d’Huez is easily accessible from airports in Lyon and Grenoble, the train station in Grenoble and via the motorway.
François Badjily, Director of Alpe d’Huez Tourisme, welcomed this new annual cycling event:
“There are some events that matter, some events we are excited about, some events that match our DNA! The Haute Route is one of them. Cycling helped to build the reputation of Alpe d’Huez and today high-quality events like the Haute Route continue to fuel The Legend! We are looking forward to welcoming this new edition in 2017.” 100 entries are now available to purchase at the early-bird fee of 595 Euros, so what are you waiting for?
Treat yourself to an Haute Route event this holiday season!
