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France

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Lüders

Mélisey

Col du Ballon d'Alsace – Ballon d'Alsace loop from Mélisey

Routes

Road cycling routes

France

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Lüders

Mélisey

Col du Ballon d'Alsace – Ballon d'Alsace loop from Mélisey

Hard

5.0

(7)

661

riders

Col du Ballon d'Alsace – Ballon d'Alsace loop from Mélisey

04:16

82.2km

1,400m

Road cycling

Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: March 28, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Parc naturel régional des Ballons des Vosges

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

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13.3 km

Col de la Chevestraye

Mountain Pass

32.4 km

Col du Ballon d'Alsace

Highlight (Segment) • Mountain Pass

The ascent of the Ballon d'Alsace from Sewen stretches over 13 kilometers.

This 9-kilometer segment includes 700 meters of elevation gain, an average of 7.5%.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

41.6 km

Ascent to Ballon d'Alsace

Highlight (Segment) • Climb

Great route very nice view above.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

43.8 km

Here René Pottier conquered the first pass of the Tour de France on July 11, 1905. The Ballon d'Alsace then remained unrivaled for five years - until the much harder passes in the Pyrenees were discovered.

At 1,247 meters, the pass is by no means the highest in the Vosges and today no one would include it on the list of important passes - but there is still a certain magic about it.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

43.8 km

Borne René Pottier

Highlight • Other

René Pottier was the first to cross the Ballon d'Alsace in the Tour de France in 1905 (supposedly at an average speed of 20 km/h) and thus became cycling's first unofficial mountain king. In his honor, a stone with an inscription and his photo was placed at the top of the Ballon d'Alsace pass. However, in 1905 he did not win the stage over the mountain or the Tour de France itself - he had to retire due to an injury. In 1906 René came back, was first at the top of the pass again and was then also at the front in Paris. In his Tour victory he also won five stages, four of them in a row. Perhaps he could have repeated his success more times. In January 1907, just six months after his Tour triumph, Pottier took his own life by hanging himself in the garage of the bicycle factory whose bikes he rode. Employees found him hanging on the hook where his bike used to hang. Lovesickness was assumed to be the reason. He was 27 years old.

Translated by Google •

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44.5 km

Rue du Ballon d'Alsace.

Highlight (Segment) • Mountain Pass

The Ballon d'Alsace from Saint Maurice sur Moselle is 9 km long with a total drop of 621 m. The average gradient is 6.95 with a maximum gradient of 13.8%

The route features stunning mountain scenery and features frequently in the Tour de France.

Translated by Google •

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53.3 km

Hautes Vosges Greenway

Highlight (Segment) • Other

Well-developed former railway line, i.e. regular gradients, few crossings and good asphalt.

Translated by Google •

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61.9 km

Col des Croix

Highlight • Mountain Pass

From Le Thillot, the Col des Croix stretches for 4 kilometers, with 184 meters of vertical drop, for an average of 4.5%.

The summit which is located at 679 meters was crossed during the Tours de France 2014 and 2019.

Translated by Google •

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82.2 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

74.1 km

5.79 km

2.05 km

298 m

Surfaces

76.8 km

5.43 km

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (1,170 m)

Lowest point (330 m)

Weather

Today

Sunday 24 May

29°C

15°C

8 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 10.0 km/h

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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

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Col du Ballon d'Alsace – Ballon d'Alsace loop from Mélisey

Col du Ballon d'Alsace

Ascent to Ballon d'Alsace

Ballon d'Alsace

Borne René Pottier

Rue du Ballon d'Alsace.

Hautes Vosges Greenway

Col des Croix

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