The 2020 edition has been doubted, debated, postponed and finally re-scheduled. It’s still coming to Nice so for those riding the event (and equally those with wanderlust to come another time) we’ve put together a guide to the three main climbs by past-winner and Alpes-Maritimes cycling expert, Kong Fùfù

First up is the Col de la Colmiane , aka the Col Saint-Martin. Kong Fùfù advises that, like any good story, every alpine climb of length has a beginning, a middle and an end.

The beginning :

“First of all, the ride to this Col is pretty long. Nearly 60kms in the valley means that wise riders will sit in the wheels and conserve energy, especially at the beginning whilst riding in the wider Var valley where the wind blows down from the mountains during early morning. The landscapes become more dramatic as you enter the Tinée valley where the rocks eventually turn to an iron red the deep gorge cuts its way towards the bottom of the climb itself.

This Col is a long one at 16km – for most riders it will be around one hour of climbing. To deal with it mentally, you need to break it down into segments. The start is a stern introduction y as you leave the dramatic red rocks that quickly change to grey as you ride through the tunnels in the first few kilometres.

After that, the road turns left to point up the valley at the end of which lies the summit. Here it’s important to quickly find a conservative rhythm, which is possible as the gradient stays fairly consistent. Try to find a good group that suits your abilities and take the draft. There is nothing to gain by forcing the pace on the first climb of the day.”

The middle :

“This climb is punctuated by four villages. Once I pass La Planet I know I’m in the middle section, joining the dots from here to La Bolline, then La Roche and finally Saint-Dalmas.

Immediately after the first two towns the gradient goes up to an average of 7.5% - nothing too steep but it’s enough to notice the difference in required effort. Again, it’s not worth expending too much energy here.

Towards Saint-Dalmas, the valley opens up and offers great views of the peaks that tower above. At the end of August wind should not be a problem, it normally blows north to south rather than east to west.

The end :

“Saint-Dalmas is a picturesque medieval town, and after the road squeezes itself through the old stone buildings and around the dominating church spire, the high mountain feeling begins to really kick in.

This last section to the col is the most consistent at 6-7%. I previously raced time trials on this section and the non-climbers can compete with lighter riders because it is not too steep, but they use of a lot of energy in doing so.

The last two switchbacks of the climb take you in between the fir trees that give that alpine fresh feeling, which is a welcome distraction on the long straight that leads to the summit. As ski stations go, La Colmiane is a small one so before you know it you will be on the descent.

The descent is enjoyable as the road is wide and the surface good. Still, there are sections where there is nothing but a small parapet wall between you and a big fall so caution is always advised. Half way down the descent there are spectacular views up to the 3,000m peaks of the Mercantour National Park.

Although the descent feels like it finishes in the town of Saint-Martin-Vésubie, in truth it’s downhill almost the whole way to the next climb, the Col de Turini. Clever riders will take advantage of this before what might be regarded as the hardest climb on the route.”

Stay tuned for Kong Fùfù’s guide to climb #2, the famous Col de Turini
Café du Cycliste have created a badge for each climb of L’Étape du Tour. If you ride it the event you can claim all three badges by visiting the café after the event and presenting a record of your ride.

Anyone who has ridden one of the three climbs can also claim a badge here

Discover more about Col de la Colmiane here .