Following our incredible ride up the Montvernier switchbacks, today’s mission was to chase another stage of the Tour de France. Read about climbing Col du Mollard (1,638 m), pine cones falling in the forest hairpins, a collapsed bridge, and roadside TdF vibes.
Following our incredible day on the Montvernier switchbacks, we decided to follow the tracks of another Tour de France stage today. The race itinerary promised a thrilling show: a climb over Col du Mollard (1,638 m) followed by a summit finish in the ski resort of Le Corbier right below the massif of the same name.
We came up with a tactical masterplan that would make Tour de France team directors jealous: We would set off from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, climb through a endless series of tight forest hairpins via Albiez-le-Jeune all the way to Col du Mollard. We’d catch the breakaways at the summit, then quickly slip across a small wooden bridge spanning a gorge onto the Route des Arves, catching the final finish at Le Corbier later in the afternoon.
It was the perfect plan… until French road workers and real life stepped in.
🌲 Dodging Pine Cones to the Summit of Col du Mollard
The morning climb went smoothly. Legs were spinning well, and as we wound our way up through the dense pine forest, actual pine cones kept falling from the trees onto my helmet. We crested the summit of Col du Mollard right on schedule with zero issues.
Waited half an hour we saw not only the advertising caravan but also the peloton’s first pass. We didn’t make a single mistake; our timing was perfect.
Part one of the plan was safely in the bag!
🟡 TdF Spotlight: The Deceptive Rhythm-Breaker of Col du Mollard
Col du Mollard (1,638 m) might not look like a monstrous 2,000-meter giant on paper compared to Galibier, but it holds a respected place in Tour de France history:
- 2006 Debut: It first featured in the TdF itinerary during the iconic Stage 16 in 2006, running from Bourg d’Oisans to La Toussuire.
- Endless Switchbacks: The southern ascent packs over 40 sharp hairpin bends across less than 18 kilometers of climbing. It constantly breaks a rider’s rhythm, which can completely drain fatigue-heavy legs late in a stage.
- A Technical Launchpad: The descent off Col du Mollard is notorious for narrow asphalt and sudden direction changes. Race strategists love positioning it as a launching pad right before the final climb up to Le Corbier or La Toussuire.
🌁 The Collapsed Bridge and a Forced 20 km Detour
Our trouble started only after we crossed the pass, when we attempted to cross over to the other side of the massif toward Le Corbier.
We arrived at the gorge where our key wooden bridge was supposed to be. The bridge was there, alright… but only on our map! In reality, it had completely collapsed, leaving an impassable ravine ahead. There was no way across; we had to turn back.
Instead of a clever shortcut, we were forced into an involuntary 20-kilometer detour around the entire mountain. We lost over an hour, and time was ticking away fast. By the time we fought our way back onto the main road leading to Le Corbier, police motorcycles pulled up in front of us halfway up the climb.
Stop! No further! The road is fully closed for the race.
🍦 Ice Cream, Fresh Bread, and Roadside Camaraderie
Plan A was officially dead, so it was time for the relaxed French approach: if you can’t reach the finish line, make the finish line wherever you stand.
We unclipped and immediately bonded with the local French fans along the road. The publicity caravan didn’t disappoint either—throwing us a promo t-shirt, bags of gummy candies, and surprisingly, fresh bread and pre-packaged ice cream right from the vehicles!
We ate our ice cream, cheered loudly as the peloton flew past, and once the final broom wagon cleared, we enjoyed a glorious descent down the opposite side of the valley.
📊 Ride Stats
- Distance: 72.23 km I Elevation Gain: 1,779 m
- Moving Time: 4:47:05 I Energy Output: 2,186 kJ I GPX route
Dinner at the hotel tasted infinitely better after a day like that. Meanwhile, the second half of our group was still nowhere to be seen—they had decided to tackle a massive loop over Col de la Croix de Fer. At 8:00 PM, a text popped up showing they were still 20 kilometers out in the mountains. We happily asked the kitchen to save them a plate. That’s the true spirit of an Alpine cycling trip!
