Hidden among the majestic landscape of the French Alps, Courchevel attracts both adventurers and luxury seekers, and continues to amaze us with its unique charm and energy. Whether it’s the World Ski Championships or the frequent royal visits, Courchevel always has something exciting to offer, especially for those who want to venture into the call of the mountains. In this article, I’ll take you on a journey. Let’s go cycling in Courchevel – from its picturesque villages to the challenging passes, with a touch of luxury and gastronomy. Let’s together discover the wonders of Courchevel!
Courchevel
Courchevel is a village in the heart of the French Alps. The village is known for its winter sports and for its luxury visitors, such as the British royals. Last year, Courchevel was the face of the ski world championships. You could say that Courchevel and winter go well together.
My stay in Courchevel was in Courchevel 1850, one of the villages of Courchevel at an altitude of 1850 meters. During my time in Courchevel it was not yet the season, so the streets were very quiet (the seasons are around the summer holidays (July – September) and the entire winter), which is very pleasant if you want to explore Courchevel at your own pace.
Not just cycling
One of the days I was in Courchevel I went to the Lac du Rosiere to walk there and have dinner. The Lac du Rosiere is part of the Vanoise National Park where Courchevel is located. This park is the first national park in France and a beautiful place to relax. Besides the fact that you can bike wonderfully here, there are also beautiful hiking trails and lakes to swim in.
Besides the beautiful natural surroundings, Courchevel has some great restaurants, including several Michelin-starred restaurants (and a 3-star restaurant). So if you’re looking for a more luxurious cycling holiday, you’ll definitely be in the right place here.
As in the whole of France, there are also several markets where you can go. For myself, I went to a market in Aime and bought some lovely French honey. This is therefore a nice excursion on a day off or in the morning before going cycling.
Col de La Loze and the Tour de France
In this edition of the Tour de France (2023), one of the final stages will be the Col de la Loze. The stage starts in Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc and will end at the airport of Courchevel. It is expected that after this stage it will be clear who won the tour. See the route of the stage below.
That is of course a challenge that I would like to take on, conquering the Col de la Loze. You can climb this climb on 2 sides, from Courchevel and from Meribel. The tour will go up via Meribel so we will take that route. This climb was only recently built and already experienced a road section in 2020.
The climb starts in the valley and takes you up gradually through a gradient to Courchevel Moriond. From there, you continue to La Tania and drive through to Meribel. This stretch is not very impressive with percentages between 5% and 8%. From Meribel, things really start to get tough. I remember thinking: This is manageable, I can handle it. But I cheered too soon.
Sensational in the Tour de France
This part of the climb, I was told, was designed with the aim of creating exciting rope challenges. For that reason, you don’t have a consistent climb but a climb where you constantly waver between percentages of 10% and 23%. The final stretch is therefore a monster climb that you should not underestimate.
With a lot of effort, I got up and took a photo of the big ‘ballot-print’ bike that stands there. In the Tour, they will descend from there to the airport of Courchevel, which was also featured in a James Bond film (link). The descent is technically difficult and that will also be evident in the tour; after a short descent, the pros will head to the Courchevel airport, which with an ascent rate of 18% is also not to be underestimated. That will be fireworks for the classification riders.
I recommend that you climb the Col de La Loze once in your life from Méribel You can climb it, but then you quickly realize that you're not a pro and that this side doesn't offer much fun. The next few times you just climb it from Courchevel 1850. But you have experienced how the pros can get really aggressive here.
Climbing, climbing, climbing
Courchevel is part of the ‘Les Trois Vallées’, or the 3 valleys, a region that includes Val Thorens. The name already suggests that you can do great cycling and climbing here. In the region of Courchevel you can find legendary climbs like the Cormet de Roselend, Petit St. Bernard and the Col d’Iseran. Looking for a challenge for your legs? Then you’re in the right place in this region.
Courchevel is also relatively close to towns like Tignes and Val Thorens. Chances are you’ll encounter Jumbo-Visma or other professional teams while they’re training. To discover more regions nearby, be sure to also check out the Mont-Blanc region in this blog.
Why you should cycle in Courchevel?
My experience of Courchevel is very positive. You are in a great position to take various beautiful bike tours; you can combine this with the Vanoise National Park, where you can also take wonderful walks. Combine your visit to Courchevel with some beautiful tours in the area and you are in for a great cycling holiday. For example, I combined my visit to Courchevel with a ride to Chamonix and a visit to the Alpe ‘d Huez, Galibier and the Col du Croix de Fer.
Want to know more about Courchevel? Take a look at the website of the Tourism organization of Courchevel.
Have you been to Courchevel? Let us know by sending a message to @cyclingdestination.cc/.
Questions & tips
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