Col du Granon

The Col du Granon is a mountain with allure and now world fame. On this monstrous climb during the 2022 Tour de France, Tadej Pogačar was driven out of yellow by an unprecedented breakaway from Jonas Vingegaard. The Dane was the first to reach the top of the mountain at 2413 meters, took the yellow and won the Tour de France a few days later.

Thus, the Col du Granon was forever recorded in the history books of the Tour, but what few people know is that you can also reach the Granon from the other, even more exciting side. This road does not run on asphalt, but on an old military gravel path and takes you to the same point on the plateau.

This ride starts at a parking lot near a supermarket in Briançon. After a few kilometers you start the climb. With an average of 9.3%, 11 kilometers lie ahead. The views over the Ecrins massif get better by the kilometre. And of course the highest peak, the Barre des Ecrins, is also visible at 4101 meters.

Arriving at the col, you can catch your breath on the panoramic terrace of Buvette du Granon. Order a drink, a French bouncer (croque-madame) and enjoy the view. After the climb a long descent follows on the other side of Granon. At the beginning the roads are easy to drive on, but be careful, because on some passages there are large boulders on the road that sometimes make the descent technical.

Arriving in Vallée de Clarée, follow the river. If you want, you can follow the route on the unpaved paths, but if you are tired of bouncing, you can also take the parallel motorway. Finally, you cross the road for a last gravel strip that takes you over an old bridge in the medieval center of old Briançon. To satisfy your hunger, you can go for coffee and a sandwich at the bakery La Craquante or drive directly to the starting point of the route.