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Morzine's countdown to l'Etape du Tour 2016

15,000 cyclists expected to ride in the event this year

featured in News & reviews Author Alice Gregr, Morzine Reporter Updated

On the 10th July 2016, all eyes will fall on Morzine as 15 thousand road cyclists from around the world descend on the resort to take part in the Etape. 

The Etape is a chance for amateur cyclists to step into the shoes of their heroes and attempt one of the stages of the Tour de France. It takes place two weeks before the professionals attempt the same stage, which will be the last before the riders head to Paris for the end of the Tour. The winner of the competition will essentially be decided in Morzine as the likes of Chris Froome speed down the Col de Joux Plane into the centre of town.

The race itself is 146km and takes riders over 4 cols. It starts in Megeve and ends in Morzine with a considerable amount of climbing in between. Riders set off from Megeve and head to the Col de Aravis, which stands at a mean 1,487m. After descending the next challenge comes in the shape of the Col e la Colombiere at 1,618m. It’s then a lovely long down hill into Scionzier, however this takes riders down to just 500m ahead of climbing the mighty Col de Ramaz, which towers at 1,619m. This climb will be a test of nerve, skill and endurance. Riders will then drop down into Taninges and finish the day by climbing the Col de Joux Plane, which is known in these parts to be particularly tough. After 3 climbs already, legs will certainly be burning! After that there's a beautiful descent into Morzine where friends and family will be waiting to greet the weary riders.

The Etape is proving to be very popular amongst the Morzine community and training for many (including me!) has already started. Those who missed the chance to sign up to the official event are vowing to complete the course with sister events sprouting up all over the place. The snow has now gone from most of the major cols so riders are already out in force hoping to get enough saddle time to prepare them for the main event on 10th July.

Morzine is the perfect training ground for the Etape as a horseshoe of difficult cols surround it and long flat stretches to simulate the perfect Etape style environment. Whether you’re looking to improve your climbing, descent skill or just want to increase your time on the bike, there are rides for every need right on your doorstep. Here are a few of my favourites to get you started:

SPRINTS:

If you’re short on time but are looking for a chance to push yourself, take the Vallee de la Manche road all the way up to Lac Mines d’Or. It’s about 30 minutes to the lake and then about 10 back. The end is particularly steep so you get a bit of everything in this ride. It’s a steady climb, followed by a difficult ascent, finishing with an easy straight downhill back to Morzine. If you want to add a little more time in the saddle, head to the Prodains telecabine for another steady climb.

CLIMBS: 

There are no shortage of cols to choose from around Morzine. Here’s a selection of the one’s which are fully open already.

Col d’Encrenaz: Head to Essert Romand and up through Cote d’Arbroz along the famous Col d’Encrenaz for a climb that teases and leaves the thighs burning. There's a steep ascent through the village before levelling out for about 1km before shooting up to the summit. It’s around 6km from bottom to top and you’re racking up 1,433m of climbing when you reach the top.

Route d’Avoriaz: This is one of the gruelling climbs around. It’s a hairpin-laden ascent from the Mairie in Morzine all the way to the roundabout at the top of Avoriaz. Normally you can climb to Avoriaz via two routes but the Col de Joux Verte is still closed for the season. It takes about an hour from bottom to top and a quick 10 minutes down. It’s a great ride if you don’t want to spend the whole day on your bike but want to do some serious training, and being 12km to the top, it certainly tests the strength of your legs!

Col du Corbier: The Col du Corbier takes you high above the village of Le Biot. It’s a 6km climb as marked by the yellow signs printed on the road and is one of the quickest yet toughest to complete in the area. You’re looking at around 40 minutes from bottom to top. The climb takes you from the main Thonon road all the way to the village of Corbier and out to the old disused ski resort at the top. It’s one of the best climbs available at the moment because if you’re looking for a long ride you can descend down the other side and continue riding.

CHALLENGES:

Most of the cols listed above can be linked with others to make for a much more challenging and longer ride. Why not burn up the Col d’Encrenaz before descending down into Essert Romand heading towards Le Biot and up the Col du Corbier. This will give you about 3 hours in the saddle, you’ll clock up around 50km and you’ll rack up some decent climbing. You can also descend down the other side of the Col du Corbier and down into Bonnevaux; which will take you into the Abondance Valley. From here you can climb back up the Col du Grand Taillet and drop down into Forclaz, which will add another 1035m of climbing to your day. That’s not to forget the steady climb all the way back into Morzine. You’re looking at around 70km in total.

As the weather starts to improve and the snow disappears, I’ll be back with more training routes and ideas to help get us ready for the Etape. As the event website says today, it’s only 86 days until the start… Some serious training is needed and quickly. See you on the road! 

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