Les Deux Alpes/La Berarde

Distance: 65.3 miles (including la Berarde)
Elevation: 6,680 feet (about 2,500 to les Deux Alpes)
Difficulty: 7/10 (les Deux Alpes 6/10)
Scenery: 9/10;
Route: Bourg d'Oisans-le Freney-les Deux Alpes-le Freney-
la Berarde-Bourg d'Oisans

On my second full day at Bourg d'Oisans I decided to stay close; so I followed the main road (N91) out of Bourg d'Oisans heading east to check out where the 15th stage of the 1998 Tour de France will have its mountaintop finish. This road goes through the popular tourist towns of la Grave and Briancon and was quite busy; on some of the uphill sections, getting passed by big trucks was quite unnerving. Fortunately, going to les Deux Alpes, one's stint on the N91 is limited to just 7 miles or so.

(Below: A rare quiet moment on the N91 just before le Freney;
the Infernet Gorge is to the right of the road)

From the town of le Freney, the road moves away from the gorge and turns a bit more winding. The pavement is also noticeably smoother. The climbing, at between 4-6%, was quite pleasant especially since the morning turned out to be sunny, but the temperature was quite mild.

(Above: On the N91 about 2 miles from the turnoff to les Deux Alpes)

Past a short tunnel, before the bridge that crosses the Lac du Chambon, is the right turn to the D213 for the start of the 6-mile climb to les Deux Alpes. For the first mile or so after the turnoff, one gets a very nice view of the the pretty lake down below.

(Below: Looking across the gorge just past the short tunnel)

Interestingly enough, the switchbacks up les Deux Alpes are numbered just like their more famous counterparts at l'Alpe d' Huez (there are 10 in all). Otherwise, the two climbs have little else in common. Les Deux Alpes is a shorter and less steep than Alpe d' Huez, although overall, I would say that les Deux Alpes is a more scenic ride than Alpe d' Huez. The total climb is "only" about 2,500 feet, with another 650 gained on the N91 out of Bourg d'Oisans.

Switchbacks 10 through 7 are probably the most scenic section of the climb; most of it is shaded by the aspen trees that line both sides of the road.

(Above: Switchback 9, I think)

Perhaps because the Tour de France was going to visit two weeks later, the road was absolutely perfect in most places.

(Below: The newly paved section between Switchbacks 7 and 6)

Unlike l'Alpe d' Huez, les Deux Alpes starts out rather gently. In fact, there is about a 300-meter stretch at Mont-de-Lans that is flat. Looking back at what happened on Stage 15 of the Tour, I was quite surprised that Pantani was able to take as much time away from Ullrich and Julich on this climb--it was not that steep (at least not by pro standards).

(Above: Looking down towards Switchback 7, just before Switchback 6)