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Riding at Bourg d' Oisans
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Going to Bourg d'Oisans this summer for some riding. Was wondering about doing the loop from town up over the Glandon/col de la Croix, down to St. Jean de Maurienne. Then down the Valley to St Michael and up the Telegraph and Galibier and back to Bourg. About 145 kilometers and about 3500 meters of climbing. My questions are about navigating the roads between St Jean and St Michael. Are there alternate roads besides the throughfare? easy to find and navigate? How about the main road from the Galibier back to Bourg? I see it has several tunnels, are they safe with the traffic? Is it better to go down from the Glandon or the Croix de Fer.? One is a longer downhill but the other is a better road but longer in the main valley.
Any other tips about this loop? Thanks
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Re: Riding at Bourg d' Oisans [wildeman] [ In reply to ]
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Use the route for the Marmotte:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/23532081
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Re: Riding at Bourg d' Oisans [wildeman] [ In reply to ]
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Get in touch with Jimmy Riccitello, he runs a cycling camp over there every year during the TdF. He can answer most any questions you might have
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Re: Riding at Bourg d' Oisans [wildeman] [ In reply to ]
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wildeman wrote:
Going to Bourg d'Oisans this summer for some riding. Was wondering about doing the loop from town up over the Glandon/col de la Croix, down to St. Jean de Maurienne. Then down the Valley to St Michael and up the Telegraph and Galibier and back to Bourg. About 145 kilometers and about 3500 meters of climbing. My questions are about navigating the roads between St Jean and St Michael. Are there alternate roads besides the throughfare? easy to find and navigate? How about the main road from the Galibier back to Bourg? I see it has several tunnels, are they safe with the traffic? Is it better to go down from the Glandon or the Croix de Fer.? One is a longer downhill but the other is a better road but longer in the main valley.
Any other tips about this loop? Thanks

I would definitely go over the Croix de Fer first. The road from the Galibier back to Bourg isn't the nicest due to traffic, but it is less of an issue when you are descending at speed. It would be a long and uninteresting climb from Bourg up the Lauteret. The 'real' way up the Galibier is from the otherside anyway.

I think you need to have some sort of rear light on your bike for the tunnels.

There aren't too many places to get water on the mountains, so if you are going self supported, I would top up before the Galibier and in Valloire.
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Re: Riding at Bourg d' Oisans [wildeman] [ In reply to ]
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I did it about 5 yrs ago though there were road works at the bottom of the de la Croix so we had to do a bit of a detour. I do remember we ended up on quite a busy road as we got closer to the Telegraph. I am note sure if the was avoidable or not, but after the extra detour miles we just sucked it up.
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Re: Riding at Bourg d' Oisans [wildeman] [ In reply to ]
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As Nordicskier says. I've ridden that route a bunch of times (have friends who live in the Romanche near Bourg) and that keeps you off the busiest roads. There are plenty of clean water 'basin" or gravity wells around for water, if you know what to look for, but don't bypass shops if you need water. The worst part is definitely the Maurienne valley as its a bit industrial, but its not the longest part if the day, and make sure you look to the left, over your shoulder as you run down the Maurienne, at the Lacets de Montvernier road. Galibier can be cold on top, and you'll feel it dropping down to the Lauteret.
Outside this ride, My advice would be to do some exploring away from the more obvious roads, as there is some stunning stuff to see.

'to give anything less than the best is to sacrifice the gift'...Pre
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Re: Riding at Bourg d' Oisans [wildeman] [ In reply to ]
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I have ridden that exact route & was rewarded by the sight of 2 genuine Marmottes just off the road near le croix de fer at about 7.30am

It is spectacular. In the Maurienne valley you don't ride on the autoroute, you ride throught the towns - it's straight forward.

The climb up Galibier goes on, and on, and on...

Coming back down from Col de Lautaret to Bourg there are some tunnels, but it is a downhill ramp for something like 35km and you go really fast through therm, and so it's not a big issue. Doing the route anticlockwise might be a bit less pleasant because you'd be going uphill through the tunnels.

While you are there it is definitely worth checking out the course for the alpe de huez long course race which takes you over 2 interesting climbs in the Ecrins national park.

And Alpe de Huez- you need to break the hour (or 38 minutes if you are Armstrong/ Pantani)

Enjoy!
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Re: Riding at Bourg d' Oisans [wildeman] [ In reply to ]
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Sorry for the late reply. I was off ST for a few days.


I have not gone down Glandon, only down Croix de Fer. it should be fine. I did not find the valley to the base of Telegraph that busy in the 3 times I have done it. There is an autoroute in parallel going to Italy so that takes care of all the major trafic leaving the Route Nationale pretty safe for riding. Its easy to get to the base of Telegraphe.

Just a word of caution....depending on the time of year the town of Valloire after Telegraphe and before Galibier could be totally dead, as in nothing open and everyone on siesta. Depending on when you start your ride, you can hit Valloire in that dead zone and there is NOTHING to the top and over Galibier to the Lauteret pass. So I begged a lady to open up her Pizza place make me a pizza...i ate two slices and had her wrap two more in tin foil that I put in my jersey pockets and a massive bottle of coke and used that as my fuel to the top of Galibier. Its late in your day of riding and if it is hot and windy, or worse yet, cold, windy and pounding rain, you have a Ventoux like climb, 4+ hours into your day with no Oxygen once you get over 6000 ft up to 8800 ft.

Also one more thing.....it should be "easy" to ride down from Galibier to Bourg D'Oisans but if you start your day's riding late in the morning and end late in the day, you are 95% likely to have a massive headwind blowing up the valley pushing you back if it is hot day....hot air heats up from Grenoble and blows westerly all the way up to Galibier in a wind tunnel thermal effect.

I am actually thinking of going myself in June, July or Aug. I just don't know when as I have a tech startup (http://www.bluwave-ai.com) and there is a lot going on with investor fund raising and customer delivery stuff over this summer
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Re: Riding at Bourg d' Oisans [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Sorry for the late reply. I was off ST for a few days.

Yeah feeling ok? Were you in a hole without WiFi?
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Re: Riding at Bourg d' Oisans [logella] [ In reply to ]
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logella wrote:
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Sorry for the late reply. I was off ST for a few days.


Yeah feeling ok? Were you in a hole without WiFi?

LOL....I was buried in tech startup 24x7 land....kinds of like doing a tour de france stage every day...by the time you are done, barely time to eat, recover and start tomorrrow's "stage"...all kidding aside, I have a mussette that I pack for my meals to get me through the day right till 9pm...stop for a swim mid day some time....some days no ST...shocking.

OK back to this thread I prefer the South Side Ride up Galibier then come back down to Bourg and do Alpe d'Huez. Of you can blast an ADH ITT (Pantani style 37.xx on the full juice plan if you want) and then trudge up Galibier. South side in my view is a nicer ride if you depart from Bourg d'Oisans, because all the way to Lauteret is 'easy'....its just the final part off the left turn up to Galibier that is tough, but at least you have legs....the Croix de Fer + Telegraphe + Galibier North side, each time I did it, I was shelled by the time I got up over 7000ft on the South Side when you do that right turn to hit the switchbacks.

This was a pic doing South Side. It was early in June so the pass was "just open" around 2 weeks before so lots of snow beside the road. A hot day in June you can't really beat, because of the scenery with the snow. Cold day in June with rain and the place is a death trap
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Re: Riding at Bourg d' Oisans [wildeman] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks everyone. I am planning on Alp to Sarrenne and around on the balcony road day 1. Then the Villiard de Notre Dame and up to col d Ornon on day 2. Then over the Croix de Fer and up the Galibier and back on the 3rd day. Then off to Northern Italy for the rest of the trip (Bormio, dolomites).
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Re: Riding at Bourg d' Oisans [wildeman] [ In reply to ]
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you'll love those rides. balconies are often overlooked gems ;-)

'to give anything less than the best is to sacrifice the gift'...Pre
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