Col du Galibier

From Valloire: about 18 km at 6.9% to roughly 2,642 m; from the Col du Lautaret, about 8.5 km The highest of the classic Tour climbs here and the one that feels most like high mountains, with the air thinning in the final kilometers. It first appeared in 1911, and a memorial to Henri Desgrange, the Tour's founder, stands near the summit tunnel. Most riders tackle it from Valloire, often after the Col du Télégraphe from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, which turns it into a full day. The short Lautaret side suits anyone who wants the view without the full effort. Snow usually keeps it closed until around June.