Anyone who watched the Tour de France in the early 2000s will have heard the name La Plagne always link it to Michael Boogerd's ultimate victory. Coming out on top alone after a long breakaway. Hands in the air, kissing the chain around his neck, helmetless. A sign that times were different then. The region is fantastic, famous also for the passage of La Grande Boucle. Although, the last finish at the top of La Plagne was.....right, 2002. Since then, the Tour Circus has passed by this place every time. Rightly so, I don't think so. The climb to the ski village may be there and the region is, of course, fantastic. Therefore, here are the 5 most beautiful climbs from La Plagne and its surroundings. If you do choose La Plagne as your basecamp.
Text: Sander Kolsloot
Cormet de L'Arêches
Wherever you stay in the region, the climb to Cormet d'Arêches is one to write down immediately. This climb also does come with a disclaimer. The first half of this climb is still well paved, but at some point the paved section turns into bad tarmac to basically a gravel climb. So why is it included? Because the views at the top are insanely beautiful. Plus the fact that in total (from Aime) it is 20 kilometres long with an average of 7 percent and peaks of 15. Wonderful, in other words.
Les Arcs (Arc 1800 - Arc 2000)
This two-headed monster, or rather, this two-headed beauty offers a lot of opportunities to complete a wonderful climb in the Auvergne - Rhone Alps. The choice is yours. The numbers after 'Les Arcs' already give an indication of the altitude you will eventually end up at. Although Arc 2000 comes out at 2120 and Arc 1800 at a tidy 1796 metres. That's what they mean by 'the French Battle', I think. Anyway, Arc 1800 is a nice, steady climb to the first village. You never get above 8.5 per cent and the average is about 5.4. That's perfect for not getting to the top completely demolished. For Arc 2000, things are slightly different. This one is longer, shoots out towards 10%, but also has a stretch of flat. A bit more irregular. Well. The choice is yours (or do them both)
Col du Tra
Want something different? Then take the Col du Tra. This one is not as bruisingly high as all the other cols in the area, but you do have a hefty challenge ahead of you. Steeper than the rest and in less kilometres. Whether you pick it up from the west or from the east, you are guaranteed a long stretch of climbing above 8%. I can tell you, that won't go easy on you. You will always be rewarded because the views over the region are magnificent, of course.
La Plagne
You would almost forget that the climb to La Plagne is also there. In it, you have two choices: do the shorter variant (the Boogerd variant) to the '1800' village or drive on. You can then drive to the higher Belle Plagne, but this one is still the prettiest. In the attached Youtube video, you can see some more nice footage of Boogerd back then in 2002. What I find funny myself: I never saw that stage live. I still don't know what I was doing then, but one of the most beautiful victories of that period, I only saw with 'the Mart' as commentator. Funny stuff.
Col de L'Iseran
We put this climb on the list anyway. From La Plagne itself, it's a hefty ride. The Iseran alone would be an achievement in itself. But when you're this close, it has to be on it. This is the giant of giants. The summit is really high, at 2720 metres. From Bourg Saint Maurice (the most famous start), you'll be on the road for 46 kilometres to finally reach the summit. You actually climb to Tignes first (also a nice climb) before starting the second part from Val d'Isere. The climb is nowhere really very steep. The length and especially the final height provide the real challenge here. Although the southern variation might be nicer, you can't skip this one. I think.
