La Marmotte

The classic Alpine test, and still the one many riders measure themselves by. The route strings together the Col de la Croix de Fer, the Télégraphe and the Galibier, comes down past the Lautaret, then finishes up the 21 hairpins of Alpe d'Huez: 186 km and about 5,000 m of climbing on the organizers' current figures. Arriving at the foot of the Alpe with tired legs is the defining experience. The field is large and strongly international, with the organizers counting more than 6,600 riders from abroad. The 2027 date is listed as Sunday, June 27, though still marked to be confirmed. Late-June sun on the Alpe's lower ramps can be brutal, so finishing well needs real climbing fitness and careful fueling.