Famous climbs · France

Alpe d'Huez (Le Bourg-d'Oisans): ride it free on your smart trainer

12.7 km from 722 m to 1821 m. See where it gets steep, work out how long it will take you at your watts, then ride it in WattLog with your trainer following the gradient.

Length12.7km
Elevation gain1103m
Average grade8.7%
Max grade (200 m)17.6%

About the climb

This climb sits in the Oisans, in the Isère part of the French Alps. It starts on the valley floor at Le Bourg-d'Oisans (722 m) and finishes in the ski resort at 1821 m: 12.7 km and 1103 m of climbing on this route, at 8.7% on average.

The first kilometre is flat, so the climb proper is about 11.7 km long. From there the profile barely drops below 7%: kilometres 1 to 3 run at 8 to 12%, and a short easier stretch around 3.5 km is the only real breather. On this route the hardest part comes late, in the resort itself: from 10 to 12 km every 500 m averages 12 to 16%, and the steepest 200 m reaches 17.6%. Only the last few hundred metres ease off.

Pacing tip: the calculator puts a 75 kg rider at 3.0 W/kg on 1 h 15 min. Ride the first ten kilometres a few watts under that target so you still have something for the steep finish through the resort.

Elevation profile

Elevation profile of Alpe d'Huez (Le Bourg-d'Oisans): 722 m to 1821 m over 12.7 km 500 m 750 m 1000 m 1250 m 1500 m 1750 m 2000 m 0.0–0.5 km: -0.6% 0.5–1.0 km: 0.8% 1.0–1.5 km: 9.2% 1.5–2.0 km: 11.6% 2.0–2.5 km: 10.1% 2.5–3.0 km: 7.8% 3.0–3.5 km: 11.8% 3.5–4.0 km: 5.2% 4.0–4.5 km: 8.9% 4.5–5.0 km: 7.4% 5.0–5.5 km: 10.0% 5.5–6.0 km: 8.6% 6.0–6.5 km: 8.0% 6.5–7.0 km: 6.9% 7.0–7.5 km: 9.3% 7.5–8.0 km: 9.4% 8.0–8.5 km: 8.4% 8.5–9.0 km: 8.5% 9.0–9.5 km: 6.9% 9.5–10.0 km: 9.5% 10.0–10.5 km: 13.4% 10.5–11.0 km: 14.2% 11.0–11.5 km: 16.2% 11.5–12.0 km: 11.5% 12.0–12.5 km: 6.7% 12.5–12.7 km: 0.6% 0 km 2 km 4 km 6 km 8 km 10 km 12 km
  • under 4%
  • 4–7%
  • 7–10%
  • 10% and over

Each 500 m of the profile is coloured by its average gradient.

Route

Route of Alpe d'Huez (Le Bourg-d'Oisans), north up, from the start (green) to the finish (red) Start Finish

Start   Finish   North is up

How long will it take you?

Enter the power you can hold for the whole climb and what you and your bike weigh. The estimate rides the profile 100 m at a time at steady power, with no wind and a road bike position.

Your numbers
Time —
Average speed — km/h
Power to weight — W/kg
Time at 2.5 / 3.0 / 3.5 / 4.0 W/kg for a 75 kg rider and 8 kg bike
2.5 W/kg188 W1 h 29 min8.5 km/h
3.0 W/kg225 W1 h 15 min10.1 km/h
3.5 W/kg262 W1 h 05 min11.7 km/h
4.0 W/kg300 W57 min13.2 km/h

Real climbs take longer when you start too hard, stop, or ride into a headwind. Treat the number as the pace to aim for, not a promise.

Ride Alpe d'Huez (Le Bourg-d'Oisans) on your trainer In WattLog this climb is a route you can ride for free: your smart trainer's resistance follows the gradient, and the climb panel shows how much is left to the top.

Ride it free in WattLog

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Route © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Elevation: Copernicus DEM GLO-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA