An iconic summit above Lake Annecy, Le Semnoz made recent Tour de France history by hosting the finish of the last mountain stage of the race’s 2013 centenary edition.
A long, steady climb from Annecy
From Annecy, it’s 15.9 km for 1,280 m of elevation gain, averaging 8.1% with no real flat sections. The road climbs first through forest before opening onto alpine pasture in the final third, with a gradient that stays demanding all the way to the top.
Lake Annecy as a backdrop
The Crêt de Châtillon, the climb’s high point at 1,699 m, offers a panorama over Lake Annecy, widely considered one of the most beautiful alpine lakes, as well as the Mont Blanc massif, the Bauges and the Aravis on a clear day.
Getting the ride right
The steadiness of the gradient over nearly 16 km calls for pacing the effort across the whole climb rather than reacting to specific sections. A compact or triple crankset is recommended to absorb the length of the ascent without burning out in the early kilometres.
When to go
May to October, as the road is generally clear during this window. The summit of Le Semnoz hosts a small Nordic ski resort and can still hold snow early in the season.
Good to know
Annecy, the starting point of the climb, makes it easy to pair the ascent with a swim in the lake or a ride along the Lake Annecy cycle path, one of the busiest in France.
