The iconic Col du Galibier will not feature in this year’s Tour de France, with organisers ASO forced to change the route for the penultimate stage of the race on Saturday July 25.
Finishing atop Alpe d’Huez, the short but brutal 110.5km stage was originally scheduled to include the Galibier, which peaks at 2,645m.
The closure of the Chambon tunnel in April, as a result of a landslide, has forced organisers to re-think the route, however, and the peloton will now tackle the Col de la Croix Fer en-route to Alpe d’Huez.
The Col de la Croix Fer (watch Mike Cotty tackle the climb in this Col Collective video) will also be tackled on stage 19, but will be traversed from a different direction on stage 20.
Despite the revised route, the distance of stage 20 remains the same, and the Modane start and Alpe d’Huez finish all still feature, with the final rites for the race for the yellow jersey likely to play out on the latter’s iconic 21 hairpins.
As a result of the course change, the Henri Desgrange prize, which rewards the rider who summits the highest climb of the Tour first, will be awarded at the Col d’Allos (2,250 m), just prior to the finish of stage 17 at Pra-Loup – a repeat of the stage which featured at the Criterium du Dauphine.
You can find the full Tour route and all the latest team news, previews and build-up on our Tour de France hub.
La Marmotte sportive route also revised
The Tour de France is not the only event by the Chambon closure, with organisers of the popular La Marmotte sportive also forced into a route change.
The Galibier, Col du Telegraphe and Lautarat have all been removed from the route, which will instead tackle the Col de la Croix Fer, Lacets de Montvernier and Col du Mollard en-route to the finishing climb on Alpe d’Huez.
