Each year the iconic cycling race passes through some of our best loved ski holiday destinations as cyclists push their abilities to the maximum and tackle the extreme mountain ascents. Thousands of spectators gather the streets and tune in on TV across the world to view the famous race.
Watchers of the Tour de France admire the beauty of the French landscape as much as the race itself. We love seeing our favourite French ski resorts in full bloom and this makes us remember the fun times we have in these fascinating regions at winter. Some of our senior ski experts can point out our ski chalets along the tour!
As the Tour hits the mountains this weekend, here are the top 5 ski resorts on the Tour de France route.
1. Morzine
Morzine is hosting the last leg of the Tour de France on 23rd of July before the final stage in Paris. This part of the tour will take riders 146km from Megève to Morzine on terrain varying from 537m above sea level to 1691m.
Morzine is a popular destination throughout the year, but it truly comes alive in winter when the enormous Portes du Soleil ski area gets transformed into a stunning winter wonderland. There are some of the best tree-skiing routes and prettiest villages in the whole of the Alps here which makes Morzine a top ski holiday haven.
2. La Clusaz
After climbing up to the Col des Aravais at 1487m, the cyclists descend into La Clusaz before tackling the next ascent of Col de la Colombiere to 1618m.
La Clusaz is a beautiful hidden gem in the Haute Savoie region in France with 84 varied pistes, totalling 125 km of skiable terrain. Due to its excellent location, La Clusaz receives some of the best snow in France which makes it a great destination for off piste skiing and snowboarding.
3. Samoëns
Along the Megève to Morzine route, the Tour de France athletes pass through Samoëns in Le Grand Massif. Samoëns is an attractive alpine village near Flaine, Les Carroz and Morillion with 148 linked slopes between the villages. The high altitude and large amount of north facing slopes give Le Grand Massif exceptional snow conditions throughout winter making it great for beginner and expert skiers alike.
4. Megève
Megève is the starting point for Stage 20 in the 2016 Tour de France. Cyclists will begin the 146 km journey at 1050m in the beautiful old town of Megève. This is one of the most picturesque resorts in France in the winter with its charming medieval style square and spectacular tree lined slopes.
5. Alpe d’Huez
One of the most famous points along the Tour de France is the extreme ascent of the 21 hairpin bends up to Alpe d’Huez. The alpine views on this part of the journey are magnificent and you can see right across the valley beneath the Grandes Rosses massif. The climb is 14km long with an average gradient of 7.9%.
As well as being the Mecca of the Tour de France, Alpe d’Huez is one of our best-selling ski destinations in France. The resort has an exceptional ski area, brilliant snow conditions throughout the season, high altitude skiing and a vibrant après scene.
After 29 historic appearances in the Tour de France, Alpe d’Huez isn’t featured in the 2016 as they test out some new climbs this year.
View all ski holidays in France
