We
spent our first 10 days in France’s northeast, around the time when Paris was in flood. As we soon found out for ourselves, other significant parts of the
country, not least around where we were staying, had received its highest
rainfall in the months of May and June, for many years.
Despite
the weather, my intention was to garner a taste of France’s smaller mountain
regions to the north, notably the Jura and the Vosges, both of which feature
regularly in the Tour de France. Only as recently as last month, the French Tour
travelled through the Jura in the 206 kilometre stage 16 race from Moirans-en-Montagneto the Swiss capital of Bern.
Rusty, after our long flight from Melbourne, I set out on a ride from our accommodation in Segny, via the Haute Jura’s most iconic pass, the Col de la Faucille.
Altitude Gain: 703m
Length: 11.8km
Average Gradient: 6.0%
Maximum Gradient: 8.1%
From Morez (Jura, France,
near Swiss border)
Height: 1,323m
Altitude Gain: 618m
Length: 26.8km
Average Gradient: 2.3%
Maximum Gradient: 5.9%
Approached
from Gex in the south and Morez to the north, deep in the heart of the Haute
Jura, the Col de la Faucille is both challenging and exquisite in its entirety.
Having appeared in the Tour de France on more than 40 occasions, the climb made
its debut in 1911, during the 344 kilometre stage between Belfort and Chamonix;
just 24 hours before the Col du Galibier made its first appearance as well.
The climb
from Gex:
11.8
kilometres with an average of 6%, the climb from Gex is not hugely steep, but
what it might lack in gradient, it makes up for in scenery; not least the
recurrent views of Lac Léman (also known as Lake Geneva) down in the valley below and the sublime vista of
Mont Blanc further to the southeast. Batting below its average over the first 7
kilometres, the climb picks up over the next 3, reaching its maximum gradient of
8.1% between the 8.5 and 9.5 kilometre mark. With a kilometre left to travel,
the road reverts to little more than a false flat.
More
renowned for its beauty than a test of one’s stamina, the climb from Morez is a
window of what you’ll see and feel in the Jura should you decide to stay. And most
likely, plenty of rain of course!
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