Skinny climbers are high-fiving one another today with the announcement of a shark-tooth profile for the 2020 Haute Route Alps gran fondo that takes riders from Megève, France through the Alps to finish in Nice next August.

The 7-day 7-stage route covers 800km(500 miles) of historic Tour de France roads, including a jaw-dropping 20,000m(65,000ft) of storied Alpine climbing. With an average 3200m (10,500ft) vertical climbing per stage, including constant ups and downs, compact gearing is not optional.

Legendary Tour de France climbs include Col de la Colombière, Côte 2000, Cormet de Roselend, Tignes, Col de l’Iseran, Col du Télégraphe and Col du Galibier (a staple of the Tour de France) – and that’s just in the first 3 stages!

The back half of the week challenges riders with more epic climbs – Col d’Izoard, Risoul, Col de Vars, Cime de la Bonette and Col de la Couillole, before dropping down to Nice on the Mediterranean coast.


Rather than the traditional mid-week time trial, the week long gran fondo concludes with a sure-to-be-appreciated 12km time trial in Nice with only 500m elevation gain.

Haute Route Alps is known to sell out early, so plan accordingly if you want to test your limits at one of the toughest gran fondos in the world.
GFDN Worldwide Gran Fondo Calendar