Col de la Loze

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Col de la Loze
Mountain top with some snow
Highest point
Elevation2,304 m (7,559 ft)
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Geography
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LocationSavoie, France
Parent rangeFrench Alps

The Col de la Loze is a mountain pass in the French Alps, with an elevation of 2,304 metres (7,559 ft). A path up the mountain was opened in May 2019, and is the seventh-highest mountain pass in France. The ascent featured in the 2020, 2023, and 2025 Tours de France, as well as in the 2019 Tour de l'Avenir.

Geography

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Snow covered wooden chalets with mountains in the background.
Méribel is a village on the Col de la Loze mountain pass.

Col de la Loze is in Les Trois Vallées, at an elevation of 2,304 metres (7,559 ft).[1][2] From Col de la Loze, one can ski to the nearby La Tania,[3][4] and Le Praz.[4] By chairlift, one can get from Col de la Loze to Courchevel and Méribel, and by button lift, one can get to La Tania.[5] From Col de la Loze, one can also cycle to Lac Bleu (fr).[6]

A path up the Col de la Loze was built in 2018[2] and was officially opened on 12 May 2019.[2] On the official opening day, there was still snow on the mountain,[7] and it was the first French mountain pass to be cleared of snow.[2] Motor vehicles are not permitted on the path.[8] The path is paved on the side toward Courchevel.[8] The path links Col de la Loze to Courchevel, and in 2020 was paved on the side to Méribel. There are future plans to continue the path to Val Thorens.[2] It is the seventh-highest mountain pass in France,[1] and the third-highest mountain pass in the Savoie region.[8]

Cycling

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While there are multiple routes to get to the Col de la Loze, the climb through Meribel is the most notorious, and at 14.1 FIETS[clarification needed] is the hardest bike climb in France.[9] The climb averages a 7.5% gradient for 22.6 kilometres (14.0 mi) gaining nearly 1700 metres.[10]

On 12 May 2019, the Col de la Loze held the Eiffage time trial event to commemorate its opening.[7][11] There were 2 races: one over a distance of 22.7 kilometres (14.1 mi), and one over a shorter distance of 8.6 kilometres (5.3 mi).[11]

The first professional cycle race to ascend to Col de la Loze was stage 8 of the 2019 Tour de l'Avenir.[12] The stage was won by Australia's Alexander Evans.[12]

Appearances in Tour de France

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Col de la Loze was the summit finish for stage 17 of the 2020 Tour de France,[12] which was won by Colombian rider Miguel Ángel López.[13] The stage included an ascent of the Col de la Madeleine, which was not in the Tour de l'Avenir stage.[1][12] The climb up to Col de la Loze was 21.5 kilometres (13.4 mi) long, with an average gradient of 7.5%[12] and a maximum gradient of 24%.[14] The route followed the former path of a 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) ski lift access road used by mechanics.[15] The ascent started in Brides-les-Bains and passed through Méribel, before turning onto the new path up to Col de la Loze.[16] The finish point was the highest point of the 2020 Tour.[16] Col de la Loze was one of two new summit finishes at the Tour, the other one being Grand Colombier.[1] It featured again in the 2023 edition, with the finish taking place at the Courchevel Altiport,[17] and next appeared in the 2025 Tour de France, being won by Ben O'Connor.[18]

Year Stage Category Start Finish Leader at the summit
2020 17 HC Grenoble Méribel (Col de la Loze) File:Flag of Colombia.svg Miguel Ángel López (COL)
2023 17 HC Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Courchevel File:Flag of Austria.svg Felix Gall (AUT)
2025 18 HC Vif Courchevel (Col de la Loze) File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ben O'Connor (AUS)

References

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