As a young boy, I spent hours glued to the TV set. It was the 1990s. Names like Indurain, Chiapucci, Virenque, Armstrong, Ullrich and of course Pantani. The days when mountain stages could last well over seven hours. Back then, flashing shirts, unsightly goggles and cycling without a helmet were still the norm. Back then, I could dream up the names. Iseran, Glandon, Galibier, Croix-de-Fer. One by one, alpine skis that immediately make me dream again. The yellow of Credit Lyonais and Mavic. Fiat in block letters on the road. The recognizable sound of Mart Smeets and Jean Nelissen. That was the Tour de France in the ’90s. One of the resounding names in the mountain race ranks was the Col de Joux-Plane. A classic, with an exclamation mark. Because it was always climbed from the south and actually always finished in Morzine. I’ll take you over the flanks of this mighty climb in the region Savoie-Mont-Blanc
Text and photos: Sander Kolsloot
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Virenque will defeat him
If there was one rider I would turn on the television for, it was Richard Virenque. The celebrated leader of the Festina team who claimed to have cycled on bread and butter, even when he couldn’t make it any longer. Until he couldn’t keep it up. Virenque and the bollentrui, the best climber in the Tour, are one to me. When he came up first in 2000 at the Joux Plane, together with Roberto Heras, he rode in a plain Team Polti outfit. The Col de Joux-Plane was perhaps the ideal climb for Virenque. He could take on heavier climbers like Armstrong and Ullrich on the sections above ten percent. The stretch between six and five kilometers before the top averages over ten percent. Enjoying the climb. I can’t quite recall the footage, but I see Richard making a ‘pay’ gesture to Heras at the top. How did he end up winning? Heras missed the turn, not for a ‘helpful’ French signaler, I’m sure.
Flying Floyd Landis
Anyone who had a television in 2006 and watched the Tour had to watch it again. Especially on July 20, 2006, when Floyd Landis set off for a lonely flight with more than 100 kilometers to go. A route that seemed doomed. A tough stage that ended in Morzine and therefore inevitably had the Joux-Plane in the course. Landis took off, with a bottle firmly in his hand. The painful Joux-Plane, with more than ten kilometers of 8.5 percent, then looked more like a warm-up climb. The hands went triumphantly in the air after the descent towards Morzine. Would Floyd have enjoyed the beautiful view too? The view over the valley, over Samoëns? I don’t think so. He was in the zone. But as another American would rightly remark: ‘not normal’.
Pantani. And that's enough
In 1997 Team Telekom made use of ‘Der Jan’ in the Tour de France. The Telekom train rode at a tight pace up the final climb. About halfway, just before it became very steep, ‘il Elefantino’ burst through. Dancing on the pedals, in the characteristic blue-yellow of Mercatone Uno, Pantani’s bald skull came into view. No one could follow him. The smooth pace of Pantani in stark contrast to the lumbering body of Ullrich. Il Diavolo, as Pantani was also called, was also pursued by Didi der Teufel on the flanks of the Joux Plane. Could it be more appropriate? Once above, he passed a hut that still stands and dove down. The few short hairs in the wind. First a slight descent, then another up and then seven kilometers of lovely downhill. The last two kilometers to Morzine are really steep. Above ten percent, no problem for Pantani. In the town, the victory lap. That’s all there is to it.
Read also: Cycling in Emilia-Romagna: Following Pantani's trail
About the Col de Joux-Plane
Where the name Joux-Plane comes from is still a bit of a mystery to me. Further on you also find the Joux-Verte, but I didn’t find any Joux Noire, Joux Bleu or similar. Maybe I need to look a little harder. The climb actually has only one side. That is the climb from Samoëns. In the village you’ll find the signs with ‘Col de Joux-Plane’. If you follow them, you’ll get on the climb. It starts quite nicely. For the first three kilometers you’re basically under 10% and you have a nice view over the valley and you can look further to the west. With a bit of imagination you can see the lake of Geneva. After four kilometers, the climb gets steeper and you encounter the first hairpin bend. It’s a tough climb, but unlike for example the Passo Giau or a Stelvio, you never feel like you’re completely exhausted.
Facial features and a straight line upwards
After the first four kilometers, you are presented with a beautiful stretch of hairpin bends, also known as the sign that you are going steeply uphill. The view of the valley around Samoëns and the opposite Plateau des Saix is amazing. On a sunny day, this is pure enjoyment, but early departure is the motto. With only three kilometers left, the road is an almost straight line up. You can see the summit, although the summit does not have a classic peak. You drive in a kind of bowl, as if a mountain lake had once been located there. Then you drive past the aforementioned hut, where in the summer you can get a cup of coffee and then you roll down. A fantastic climb with so many stories that you could write a book about it. That, however, I leave to other family members.
Tips and the route
The Savoie-Mont-Blanc region has a lot to offer for the enthusiastic racing cyclist. If you want to start the day well, before you start climbing the hill, a nice cup of coffee is not a luxury. At Le Café du Giffre They know how to do that. Not some weak-ass guy, but really good coffee. Speaking of coffee: After the climb, you can go to Morzine and get Satellite Coffee. Run by an English couple, you really won’t regret a stop here. There’s no word of French in it.
If you go mountain biking, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the weather. It can suddenly change. We set off in the sun ourselves, only to get a downpour later. The temperature dropped significantly as a result, making windproof sleeves and a windbreaker a necessity.
Once back in Samoens, you have plenty of time to drive through the town and have a bite to eat or a drink somewhere. We stayed in the beautiful Hotel Neige et Roc. The spa at this hotel is something everyone should recommend. Unfortunately, the spa is only for hotel guests. So book a reservation now.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.