Méribel Cyclo Challenge 2026

Missed the Étape du Tour? 👀 Don’t panic—the Méribel Cyclo-Tour Challenge is here to save the day! 💪 For the first time, the Tarentaise Valley, in Savoie, is opening its roads for the weekend of August 15! Experienced cyclists and climbers, get on your bikes! 🚴‍♀️ The event runs over 3 days for 2 totally different events and 1 day of activities ☝️. Here, we’re not talking endurance but rather short, steep events, so you’ll need to perfect your out-of-the-saddle dancing to pass your buddies at the top of the passes! 🕺

Speaking of passes ⛰️, you’ll tackle two of the most legendary passes in the 3 Valleys. The Col de Tougnète and the Col de la Loze will be within pedaling distance! 😝 You can choose to do one event and head home, or stay for the whole weekend and take on the 2 stages of the Méribel Cyclo-Tour Challenge 😎. But where do these races go? Well, along the same roads you bomb down on skis in winter! ⛷️ For each stage, you’ll link one town to another (or one resort to another 🤓). On the first day, you’ll ride from Brides-les-Bains up to the Altiport in Méribel, for a total of 17 km and 1,135 m of elevation gain on the clock! Already a lot of climbing in the legs 🥵. And the next day, you’ll connect Les Allues to the summit of the Col de la Loze at 2,275 m altitude. In this event, you’ll have covered 15 km and 1,235 m of elevation gain. If that seems like a lot, you can always reassure yourself by telling yourself that this stage (and only this one) is open to electric-assist bikes! 🔋 For the total of the 2 stages, if we’re not too bad at math 😅, that gives 32 km and 2,370 m of elevation gain. Not many kilometers for a whole lot of climbing! 😬

It’s nice to tell you about the tough climbs that await, but we also mentioned a day of activities! 🎉 To get you in the mood and, above all, kick off the Méribel Cyclo Challenge, on Friday there will be an opening evening and entertainment. There, on the eve of the race, what will matter most is conviviality, sharing, and topping up your energy 😄. Yep, partying is fun, but the next morning the alarm will ring ⏰ and it won’t be to chill on a deckchair, but rather to pedal like crazy 🚴‍♂️.

Who says climbing also says raclette! 🤤 Yep—there’s no season in Savoie for enjoying cheese 🧀. After that, you can go for a little walk: there’s no shortage of hikes in the Vanoise Massif! If you’re motivated, you can hike up to the Mont-Coua Lakes, which are above the Saut hut 🛖. A chance to sleep in the cool air and as close as possible to nature! 🏞️ And by the way, if you keep your eyes peeled and tread softly 👣, you just might spot a marmot poking its nose out around a bend in the trail 🥾.

Alright then—saddle up, Marcel, Méribel is waiting just for you! 😉