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Region: French Alps
Climbing effort: 1198 cep
Elevation meters: 1624
Steepest kilometer: 10.4%

Steepest 250 m: 11%
Foot: 430 m    Top: 1993 m
Mean slope: 6.2%
Length: 25.1 km

From: Notre-Dame-de-Briançon
Road conditions (2025): good
Other race bikers: 10-25 per hour
Motor vehicles: 10-30 per hour
Scenery and road: (4/5)
Restaurant or bar near top: yes

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Other climbs French Alps

We rode this ascent from the Isère valley to the Col de la Madeleine on a beautiful summer weekday and were surprised by how little traffic there was. Very pleasant! Instead, we saw many cyclists — no surprise, as the Madeleine is one of the most famous Tour de France passes. It owes its fame in part to its difficulty. The climb is long (25 kilometres) and cyclists have no fewer than 1625 metres of elevation to overcome. These are divided into three demanding sections (the opening section, the middle section and the final section), separated by two easier stretches. Nowhere does the road become extremely steep; the steepest kilometre has a gradient of 10.4% and is located at the end of the steep middle section of the climb, just after the last settlement (Cellier Dessus). Because I was tired, I found the steep final section the most demanding part of the ride. It includes a stretch of 3.5 kilometres with an average gradient of 9.1%. The final section is also the most beautiful part of the climb. Here one may enjoy unobstructed views of imposing mountains, especially on the right-hand side of the climbing cyclist. These mountains are even more impressive on the descent. In addition, in clear weather the descending cyclist can see the Mont Blanc massif ahead, though in the distance. From a scenic point of view, I found this ascent to be the most beautiful of the three approaches to the Madeleine.