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Further to the postponement of Tour de France 2020, it will be on September 16th 2020 that Meribel's Col de la Loze will host the most spectacular arrival of the 107th Tour de France!

This brand-new road, entirely dedicated to cyclists, features some of the most demanding sections of the Tour with climbs ranging between 16% and 20%! This 17th stage thus promises a grandiose finale at 2.300m of altitude, this afinish line overhanging the whole Meribel valley!



 

FROM Grenoble TO MEribel, A STAGE TO REMEMBER

On September 16th, the 17th stage of Tour de France will be linking Grenoble to Meribel at Col de la Loze and will thus be the starting the first stage in the Alps for this 107th edition.
During this 168-kilometer-long stage, the competitors will first head towards the Maurienne Valley and its emblematic Col de la Madeleine at 2.000m. Most of the Tour fans already know this 17-kilometers 8.4%-average-climb as the Tour will cross it for the 26th time, but the approach has been completely redesigned. Using the Route de Montgellafrey - that has never been used by the Tour before - the competitors will reach St-Francois-Longchamp to make their way towards Meribel Valley. And that's an additional 21.5 kilometers at 7.8%!

But with Meribel within sight, no time for rejoicing as the hardest part of this stage - if not the whole 2020 Tour - unrolls its hairpin bends up to Col de la Loze! 7 kilometres of leg-breaking bends, curves and wall-looking climbs over 20%, with no regularity to set a pace on!
This one-of-a-kind ascent will be crucial for climbers and should crown the greatest of them all, the Mont Blanc in the background!

After a well-deserved rest night, the Tour will leave Meribel to start the 18th stage  to La-Roche-sur-Foron via Cormet de Roselend, Col des Saisies and Col des Aravis. A great stage with outstanding view of Mont Blanc.

col de la Loze, A BRAND-NEW OUTSTANDING PASS

Meribel owes its return on Tour de France - which last reached the resort in 1973 - to the new Col de la Loze which should soon turn into a must-run landmark for world's cyclists. It is France's 7th high pass and is already considered as "the prototype of pass of the 21th century". This unique pass has already been tested during 2019 Tour de l'Avenir with huge success.

Open in Spring 2019, Col de la Loze is a cycle-only path linking Meribel Valley to Courchevel's, using former forest tracks which have simply been asphalted. No major redesign was indeed undertake: the road thus molds the natural ground which creates multiple climb breaks. A surprise after each ben and low visibility at some points, it is a real challenge cyclists will have to face! The hardest finish of them all for most experts!
With such an outstanding profile, the passing of Tour de France promises an amazing cycling moment with, at the arrival, a breath-taking scenery with the Mont Blanc at the back! 

Col de la Loze now eclipses the world-famous Mont Ventoux and now is in excellent position to become one of the keys landmarks for the future Tour de France!