Col de la Madeleine — loop in the Maurienne from Albertville

Beautiful, traffic-free trails run along the valleys, and there's a long climb to the Col de la Madeleine pass. The very steep approach to the Col de la Madeleine, especially at the beginning of the pass, requires a lot of energy. The mountain panorama along the way and at the top of the pass is worth all the effort. From there, you can see everything from Mont Blanc to the Meije. And at the top of the pass, the blueberry tart makes up for the effort.

Col de la Madeleine, that's all I'll say. Epic ride, 25km climb at 7%, zero traffic. The climb was not without its pitfalls, the flat sections always had to be paid for dearly with passages at 10%. Magnificent high alpine terrain with a view of Mont Blanc at the summit. Demanding descent into the furnace, the last 30km with a brutal headwind and 35 degrees more strenuous than expected. At the destination, the mother of all dreams, a village fountain with cold water.

Superb route which I think is the best in this sense. That is to say in northern ascent. Uncrowded road at this time in May even if there are a lot of motorcycles. Overall the upholstery is of good quality.

Today's goal was to meet at a bathing lake near Albertville. We didn't make the journey easy for ourselves. At least we managed to set off at 8:15 so that we didn't have to struggle up the pass from the sweltering furnace. Another view of Mont Blanc - this time closer, it seemed even more massive.