CHARITY:IN 1952, French hotelier Georges Rajon was looking to inject some summer business into his new ski resort, on the top of L'Alpe d'Huez. An avid cycling fan, he asked the Tour de France organisers to consider a stage finish at the top of the mountain. Although a radical proposition, they agreed – and the rest is cycling history.
That first L’Alpe d’Huez stage was won by the great Italian Fausto Coppi, who went on to win the overall tour. Coppi rode majestically up the 21 switchbacks, finishing over a minute ahead of the next rider, and so a legend was born.
L’Alpe d’Huez has become the most famous mountain top finish in all of cycling, and among the other greats to claim stage victories there are Bernard Hinault (1986), Marco Pantani (1995), and of course Lance Armstrong (2001).
Tour organisers realise L’Alpe d’Huez is something special, and occasionally keep it in reserve: there have only been 26 finishes there since 1952, but this July – after a two-year absence – L’Alpe d’Huez is back, with a decisive stage set for July 22nd, just two days before the finish in Paris.
Meantime, L’Alpe d’Huez has become a magnet for cyclists of all abilities. It’s easily accessible, from either Grenoble, or indeed Nice, with the village of Bourg d’Oisains marking the start of the 14km, 8.1 per cent average gradient climb.
A more worthy way of experiencing this famous climb is through the Irish Hospice Foundation’s annual cycling challenge, which from July 24th to 30th travels from Geneva to Nice, taking in L’Alpe d’Huez on day three, along with several other famous Alpine summits, such as the Col Du Lauteret. It’s a brilliant itinerary, carefully planned to ensure the maximum Alpine experience.
* hospice-foundation.ie
