Check-in in Switzerland, ride in Annecy!

20km 30m 30m

We will be waiting for you at the arrivals area of Geneva Airport in Switzerland. From there, we will cross the border into France heading towards Annecy, a medieval city where we will spend the first two nights.

In the late afternoon, your bike will be assembled, and we will take a first ride along the lake's shores to ensure everything is in order with the equipment and to satisfy that urge to cycle through Europe, taking advantage of the fact that it only gets dark around 10:00 PM during the summer.

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Annecy lake and Col de la Forclaz

50km 750m 750m

One of the mandatory training sessions every time we have been in Annecy is the loop around the lake, which is almost entirely flat and features an enviable 40km bike path skirting the water and passing through a tunnel of the defunct railway.

This time, we will enhance this loop with the climb of the Col de la Forclaz, a 1,000m ascent that was part of the Tour de France in 2023, offering a privileged view of the lake and serving as a launch point for paragliding flights. If you have the courage to fly, the view is amazing!

It was in Annecy that we started for two editions of the L'Étape du Tour, in 2013 and 2018, each finishing in different cities.

Fun fact: the loop around the lake was the exact route of the individual time trial valid for stage 18 of the 2009 Tour de France, won by the Spaniard Alberto Contador, with just a 3-second advantage over the Swiss Fabian Cancellara.

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Cote d'Héry, Col de Saisies and Col du Pré

55km 2.300m 2.040m

We will reconnoiter the first part of the L'Étape du Tour 2025 route, climbing the first three mountains up to the top of Col du Pré, where we will descend to our hotel in Beaufort, completing 55km of cycling and 2,300m of accumulated ascent.

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Cormet de Roselend and La Plagne

78km 2.800m 2.720m

Resuming the course reconnaissance from where we left off the previous day, we will pass by the fantastic views of Lake Roselend and undertake a 6km climb to Cormet de Roselend, from where we will enjoy a long 32km descent to the base of the last mountain of the race.

The climb to La Plagne will be 19km at a 7.2% gradient, posing a significant challenge as the final mountain of the route.

From there, we will head to our next hotel, a thermal spa where we will spend the following three nights.

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Col de la Loze (Courchevel and Meribel)

57km 1.960m 1.960m

In 2025, this will be the final mountain of stage 18 of the Tour de France, right after passing through the Madeleine, where we will be watching the race in person!

The Col de la Loze features a 32km climb with an accumulated ascent of 1,867m and an average gradient of 5.7%. It may seem gentle, but don't be fooled: this climb becomes more challenging with each kilometer, reaching a peak gradient of 17% just 5km from the summit! It has two routes that access the well-known ski resorts of Courchevel and Meribel. During this training, we will pass through both.

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Col de la Madeleine and L'Étape village

50km 1.600m 1.600m

Those who join us on the Full package will climb the Madeleine from both sides. On this day, we will take the route starting in Notre-Dame de Briançon, next to our hotel, featuring an ascent of 1,618m over 25km with an average gradient of 6.2%.

After the training, you'll collect your race kit, explore the expo, see the latest releases from event sponsors, purchase souvenirs, and certainly watch stage 13 of the Tour de France on the big screen, an 11km uphill time trial between Loudenvielle and Peuraguides.

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