At 33.5 km and nearly 2,000 m of elevation gain, Val Thorens isn’t just Europe’s highest ski resort: it’s also the setting for the highest finish ever staged by the Tour de France, first crossed during stage 20 of the 2019 edition.
An outsized climb to the Tour’s roof
From Moûtiers, the road climbs 33.5 km for 2,000 m of elevation gain, averaging around 6%, up to the 2,300 m finish. The route runs the length of the Belleville valley, passing through Saint-Martin-de-Belleville and then Les Menuires before the final hairpins lead into the resort. While the gradient only briefly tips past 10%, it’s the sheer cumulative length of the effort, at ever-increasing altitude where the air thins, that makes this climb such a challenge for the body.
The day the Tour reached its highest point
On 28 July 2019, during stage 20 from Albertville to Val Thorens, the peloton crossed a finish above 2,300 m for the first time, becoming the highest finish in the race’s history. That edition also marked a first: three summit finishes above 2,000 m in the same Tour, alongside the Col du Tourmalet and Tignes, confirming organisers’ trend of pushing the race to ever-higher altitude.
Getting the ride right
A compact or triple crankset remains essential to manage the sheer duration of the effort, and a light packable windbreaker is worth carrying: the temperature difference between Moûtiers, at around 600 m, and the 2,300 m finish can reach 10 to 15 degrees, especially early morning or late in the day.
When to go
June to September, as the road is generally closed or impassable outside that window due to snow at high altitude. July and August remain the safest months for conditions, despite the resort’s busier summer tourist season.
Good to know
Moûtiers, served by an SNCF railway station, makes a practical base for combining this climb with other iconic Tarentaise passes, such as the Col de la Madeleine or the Cormet de Roselend, less than an hour’s drive away.
