One of our very first cycling trophies around Lac du Bourget was the legendary Mont Revard—a mountain biking paradise and proudly the very first winter sports resort established in France.
The Savoy Alps hide a spectacular gem on their western edge near Chambéry: the gorgeous lake known as Lac du Bourget. A few years ago, back when my primary hobby wasn’t lounging on a living room sofa, we set out toward its shores with massive athletic ambitions. For a few days, our base camp became the elegant spa town of Aix-les-Bains, from where we rolled out daily to discover the hidden treasures of this alpine cycling region. One of our first major objectives was to conquer the ski resort sitting on the summit of Mont Revard, at an altitude of 1,530 m a.s.l.
Mont Revard offers jaw-dropping panoramic views, overlooking not only the vast waters of Lac du Bourget but also the surrounding mountains, which conceal dozens of breakneck trails and beautiful road climbs. Rich in glamorous history, this entire region oozes classic French charm and authenticity. Standing on the summit terrace of Mont Revard, we were completely awestruck by the unique view stretching across the entire chain of the Alps, dominated by Mont Blanc and the blue expanse of Lake Bourget below.
Savoie Grand Revard is primarily a winter ski resort, known as a premier destination for Nordic cross-country skiing, but it also features classic downhill slopes, sledding tracks, and dog-sledding adventures.
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The Birth of the Mountain Time Trial
Mont Revard (1,530 m) holds an exceptionally exclusive place within the golden book of cycling history. While it currently rests slightly in the shadow of more heavily publicized alpine giants, this very climb above Aix-les-Bains shaped the modern face of the Tour de France.
- Tour de France Appearances: The pro peloton has scaled this historic summit 5 times in total (1939, 1954, 1965, 1972, and 1998).
- A World Premiere (1939): In 1939, Mont Revard hosted the very first mountain time trial in the entire history of the Tour de France. The grueling stage spanned $64.5\text{ km}$ and was won by the legendary Luxembourgish climber Sylvère Maes, who went on to secure the overall yellow jersey that year.
- Merckx’s Statement Win: In the 1972 edition, the legendary Eddy “The Cannibal” Merckx engaged in a fierce, shoulder-to-shoulder battle on these slopes with his fiercest rival, Luis Ocaña. Merckx crossed the Revard line first, breaking the spirit of the Spanish matador and paving the way to his fourth overall Tour de France triumph.
The Off-Road Alternative: Féclaz MTB Bikepark
The mountain is also a certified paradise for fat tires. The nearby La Féclaz hub features five distinct downhill tracks: a green trail, two blue trails (including a designated enduro route), a red, a black, and a dedicated pump track. The Orionde chairlift comes fully equipped with hooks to transport mountain bikes up the mountain—though they strictly won’t let you board without a helmet.
Down at the base of the slopes, following excellent local customs, you can wash your muddy rig in an automated bike wash for just €2. Furthermore, the area boasts eight cross-country MTB routes with a combined length of 125 km. However, being on our sleek road setups, we didn’t test any of that off-road goodness this time around.
The Road Climb to the Summit
We roll out of Aix-les-Bains early in the morning. It takes a good while for our scattered group to finally line up and get into a rhythm. We aren’t taking any chances with the unpredictable alpine weather: windproof jackets, dry base layers, an extra thermal layer packed away, snacks, and plenty of water are all accounted for. Down in the valley, it’s a gorgeous 22 degrees Celsius, but the forecast for the summit is calling for fresh snow.
That snow introduces itself the exact moment we hit the first steep ramps of the climb. To be fair, we don’t mind it all that much; it gives us a perfectly valid excuse to halt our momentum and catch our breath under the pretense that “we absolutely have to stop and take photos here.”
Nobody objects to the breaks, and after the first gradients cracking into 12%, all thoughts of competitive racing vanish completely. After all, it’s day one, and we are simply testing how our conditioning held up over the winter. Every man rides for himself, gasping for air with honest dedication. Before we even realize it, we find ourselves approaching the summit ridge.
Grand Revard – Freezing at the Top
A completely snow-covered terrace greets us at the summit. Fortunately, the local resort lodge is open and functioning, allowing us to head inside after exactly ten minutes of shivering and admiring the spectacular views. Spending more than ten minutes outside in a sweat-drenched cycling jersey under freezing conditions, a biting wind, and temperatures hovering around zero is a one-way ticket to hypothermia.
Suddenly, a deafening roar shatters the mountain silence. Just a few hundred meters above our heads, a military fighter jet tears through the alpine sky in full afterburner. It felt like a moment that belonged in a smartphone camera review test. We reacted just in time and caught the shot.
French cafe
As a matter of personal principle, I never order coffee when traveling through France. I honestly don’t know what kind of black magic the Italians perform to serve you a phenomenal espresso at every random gas station for a single euro. In stark contrast, the French will unceremoniously serve you a giant, soulless bucket of hot water for €4. So, we opt for hot tea instead. It warms up our bones and provides the perfect alibi to linger next to the hot radiators. We need to dry out our base layers completely; otherwise, on the high-speed descent back to the valley, we are going to freeze solid like characters in a winter fairy tale.
The Flight Back to Lac du Bourget
The descent was significantly faster than anticipated. We didn’t even need to kick the pedals once, and within minutes, we were standing right back at the shores of the lake. It was far too late in the afternoon to start another massive mountain climb, yet far too early to dive into local wine and cheeses.
Sure, We decided the wisest choice was to keep our frozen legs spinning. We mapped out a scenic route clearing the northern perimeter of the lake, which is lined by a spectacular, dedicated cycling path. We kept riding until dusk.
The true culinary bacchanalia only kicks off in the evening. A fine bottle of local Savoy wine is uncorked, paired with the strategic planning of tomorrow’s epic route. Ahead of us lies the Pont de l’Abîme—the iconic, cult-classic suspension bridge suspended between the towns of Gruffy and Cusy in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The bridge hangs at a dizzying height of 96 meters, slicing right through the middle of the deep Chéran gorge.
