• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Join us on

Ultimate France

A Thrill-Seekers Guide

MENUMENU
  • Bike
    • Mountain Biking South France
      • Auron-Saint Etienne
      • Le Dévoluy
      • Diois
      • Isola 2000
      • La Moulière
      • Les Orres
      • Montgenèvre
      • Orcières
      • Pra Loup
      • Queyras
      • Riviera Borderlands
      • Roubion
      • Serre Chevalier
      • Sospel
      • Ubaye Valley
      • Valberg
      • Val d'Allos
      • Vars
      • Verdon
    • Mountain Biking French Alps
      • Portes du Soleil
        • Avoriaz
        • Châtel
        • Les Gets
        • Morzine
      • Alpe d'Huez
      • Chamonix
        • Tour du Mont Blanc
      • Courchevel
      • Les Arcs
      • La Clusaz
      • Les Deux Alpes
      • Méribel
      • Sainte-Foy
      • Tignes
      • Val d’Isère
      • Valloire
    • Mountain Biking French Pyrenees
      • Cauterets
      • Luchon
      • Saint Lary
      • Mountain Biking Basque Country
      • Mountain Biking Northern Italy
      • Finale Ligure
    • Cycling Holidays
      • Mountain Bike Hire
      • Cycle Shops & Repairs
      • Airport Transfers
      • Campervan Hire
      • Road Cycling
      • French Alps
      • South of France
      • Cycling Holidays
    • Bike Directory

      • Finale Ligure Freeride - MTB Uplifts & Guiding
      • Whiterides - Private Airport Transfers to the Espace Killy, Paradiski and 3 Valleys
      • France Bike Trips - Mountain Bike & Road Cycling Tours
      • Natureo Surf Camp - Seignosse
      • RIDE ON NOLI - MTB Uplifts & Guiding
      • Bike Alp - MTB Holidays in the Southern French Alps
  • Surf
    • South West France
      • Anglet
      • Arcachon-La Salie
      • Biarritz
      • Bidart
      • Biscarrosse
      • Capbreton
      • Guéthary
      • Hendaye
      • Hossegor
      • Lacanau
      • Messanges
      • Mimizan Plage
      • Moliets Plage
      • Saint-Jean-de-Luz
      • Seignosse
      • Vieux Boucau
    • Brittany
    • Surf Holidays
      • Surf Camps
      • Campsites
      • Surf Shuttles
      • Campervan Rental
      • Basque Country Beaches
      • Surf Webcams
    • Surf Events
      • Quiksilver Pro France
      • World Surfing Games
  • Kite
    • Kitesurf Spot Guide
      • Almanarre, Hyères
      • Beauduc, Camargue
      • Cap d’Agde
      • Carro
      • Espiguette, Camargue
      • La Ciotat
      • Lac de Serre-Ponçon
      • Le Jaï-Etang de Berre
      • Leucate-La Franqui
      • Saint-Laurent-du-Var
      • Sète-Etang de Thau
    • Kitesurfing Holidays
      • Campervan Rental
      • Campsites
        • Almanarre
        • Leucate
      • Kitesurf Schools
        • Almanarre
        • Cannes
        • Hyères
        • Leucate
        • Montpellier
        • Sète
  • Snow
    • Resort Guides
      • Les 3 Vallées
        • Courchevel
        • La Tania
        • Les Menuires
        • Méribel
        • Val Thorens
      • Alpe d'Huez
      • Arêches-Beaufort
      • Avoriaz
      • Bourg-Saint-Maurice
      • Chamonix
      • Châtel
      • Isola 2000
      • La Clusaz
    • Resort Guides cont.
      • La Grave
      • La Plagne
      • La Rosière
      • Les 2 Alpes
      • Les Arcs
      • Les Gets
      • Les Houches
      • Megève
      • Morzine
      • Sainte-Foy
      • Serre Chevalier
      • Tignes
      • Val d’Isère
    • Backcountry
      • Off-Piste Skiing
        • Tignes
        • Val d'Isère
        • Les 3 Vallées
        • Vallée Blanche
      • Ski Touring
        • Les 3 Vallées
      • Heli-Skiing & Boarding
      • Extreme Steep Skiing
      • Snowshoeing
        • French Alps
    • Ski Holidays
      • Airport Transfers
      • Chalet Accommodation
      • Ski & Snowboard Lessons
        • 100% Snowboard
      • Ski & Snowboard Holidays
      • Ski & Snowboard Rental
      • Off-Piste Guiding
      • Last Minute Deals
    • Webcams
      • Alpe d'Huez
      • Val d'Isère
  • Adventure
    • Canyoning
      • South of France
        • Gorges du Verdon
      • French Alps
        • Vercors
      • Canyoning Guides
      • Aqua Trekking Guides
    • Hiking
      • South of France
        • Gorges du Verdon
      • French Alps
        • Tour des Ecrins
        • Tour du Mont Blanc – A Classic Long-Distance Walk in the Alps
        • Mont Blanc Ascent
      • Hiking Guides
    • Paragliding
      • South of France
        • Saint-André-les-Alpes
      • French Alps
      • Paragliding Schools
      • Tandem Flights
    • Rafting
      • The Ubaye
      • The Verdon
      • Rafting Companies
      • Tandem Kayaking
    • Rock Climbing
      • Gorges du Verdon
      • Climbing Guides
      • Mountaineering
      • Mont Blanc
      • Mountaineering Guides
    • Via Ferrata
      • South of France
      • French Alps
      • Via Ferrata Guides
  • Active Holidays
    • South of France
      • Aix-en-Provence
      • Ardèche
      • Avignon
      • Briançon
      • Cannes
      • Cévennes NP
      • Dordogne
      • Ecrins NP
      • Gorges du Tarn
      • Gorges du Verdon
      • The Luberon
      • Massif de l'Esterel
      • Mercantour NP
      • Mont Ventoux
      • Nice
      • Ubaye Valley
    • French Alps
      • Bourg-Saint-Maurice
      • Chamonix
      • The Vercors
      • Mountain Bike Parks
      • Ski Resorts
      • Last Minute Ski Deals
      • Ski & Snowboard Lessons
      • Airport Transfers
      • Chalet Accommodation
      • Webcams
    • Atlantic Coast
      • Arcachon
      • Biarritz
      • Biscarrosse
      • Bordeaux
      • Capbreton
      • Cap Ferret
      • Hossegor
      • Île d'Oléron
      • Île de Ré
      • Lacanau
      • La Rochelle
      • Royan
      • Saint-Jean-de-Luz
    • Featured Accommodation

      • Seignosse Surf Villa
      • Christiania Hotel - Valloire
      • Camping International Giens, Campsite - Almanarre
      • Camping Huttopia Gorges du Verdon
      • Chalet du Mont d'Arbois - Megeve
      • Camping La Ferme de Castellane
      • Camping Huttopia Lanmary - Dordogne
  • Events
    • Mountain Biking
      • Raid VTT
      • Terres Noires Enduro
      • CRANKWORX – Les Gets
      • Megavalanche
      • Pass'Portes du Soleil
      • MTB Instructor Course
      • Roc d'Azur
    • Outdoor Sports
      • Spadtribu - Ubaye Valley
      • Natural Games
    • Skiing & Boarding
      • La Grave Off-Piste Adventure
      • Snow & Rock Backcountry Skiing
      • Val d'Isère Photo Comp
  • Gear
    • Waterproof Cycling Jackets
    • Expedition Duffel Bags
    • Backpacks under 30l
    • Mountain Bike Helmets
    • Snowboard Boots
    • Snowboard Helmets
    • Base Layers
    • Waterproof Jackets
    • Shimano CM-1000
    • Lapierre X-Control
    • Soft Roof Racks
    • Wetsuit Buying Guide – Everything you need to know to choose the right wetsuit
  • Magazine
You are here: Home / Road Cycling in France / The Best Road Cycle Climbs in the South of France / Col de la Madone Cycle Climb

Col de la Madone Cycle Climb

Col de la Madone Road Bike Climb in the Côte d’Azur

A classic south of France climb used by Lance Armstrong to test his fitness in the run up to the Tour de France.

Route Notes

  • Departure point: Menton, Côte d’Azur
  • Altitude at trail start: 7 m
  • Length: 14.7 km
  • Climb: 920 m
  • Average Gradient: 7%
  • Duration: 1.5 hours (or 30 mins if you’re Lance Armstrong!)
  • Difficulty: Average
  • Best time to ride: Year round

Lance Armstrong on the Col de la Madone

Col de la Madone Overview

This road bike ride in the Côte d’Azur climbs out of Menton on the Italian border for nearly 15 km. With an average gradient of 7 per cent, you climb quickly away from the Mediterranean, and you’re treated to ever-more spectacular views throughout the nearly 1000 m gain in altitude.

When he lived in Nice, Lance Armstrong used the Col de la Madone climb as a test to discover if he was ready for the Tour de France. Armstrong would hit the Col de la Madone two weeks before the Tour and know from his performance if he was going to win or not. If he was just a minute off the pace, he knew he wasn’t ready. In 1999, Armstrong recorded a time of 30:45 mins, six years later Tom Danielson broke this record by 23 seconds. Although Lance Armstrong’s route officially begins in the village of Les Castagnins, just outside Menton, purists will want to start the climb at sea level in Menton.

col-de-madone-elevation-profile

Elevation Profile - click to enlarge

The Route

From the Promenade du Soleil in Menton, take the D22 inland sign posted for Sainte-Agnès. After 1 km take the D22 left along Route de Sainte-Agnès. The road winds out of Menton to the little village of Les Castagnins. 300 m beyond the supermarket, just across the little bridge is where Lance Armstrong and Tony Romingers would have started their stopwatches.

Continue along the D22 and after 5km of switchback climbing you’ll come to the pretty hill-top town of Sainte-Agnès.

After Sainte-Agnès the ride really comes into its own – the road gets narrower and the views get spectacular. The road surface does deteriorate however, but the grind to the top is helped by the regular signs telling you the gradient and your current altitude.

Besides the view, there’s not much to welcome you at the top – someone’s even stolen the sign, which judging by Lance Armstrong’s expression he’s none too impressed about. But you probably won’t want to hang around too long anyway, the ride back down is too much fun. Take care on those hairpin bends though, you never know what’s coming the other way.

Back down in Menton, the Mediterranean will be inviting you in for a well earned dip.

This is box title
GPS Download (GPX File) Google Earth Download (KML File)
     

Getting There

Driving directions to Promenade du Soleil, 06500 Menton, France.

  1. From Nice, take the A8 to Gênes/Monaco/Menton
  2. Take exit 57-La Turbie toward Roquebrune/Cap Martin
  3. Follow signs to Menton
  4. Head to the sea front, the start of this bike ride.
[mappress mapid=”6″]

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Ultimate France

About us
Contact us
Advertise
Events
Gear
Magazine
Webcams

For Business Owners

Add your business
Rejoindre l'annuaire

Assoc. Atout France

Top Mountain Bike Resorts

Portes du Soleil
Morzine
Les Gets
Avoriaz
Châtel
La Clusaz
Chamonix
Tignes
Les Arcs
Les 2 Alpes
Alpe d’Huez
Valloire
Val d’Allos
Pra Loup
Roubion
Les Orres
Montgenèvre

Directory

Airport Transfers
Campervan Hire
Canyoning
Cycle Hire
Cycle Shops & Repairs
Hiking
Kitesurf Schools
Mountain Bike Holidays
Rafting & Kayaking
Ski & Snowboard Hire
Snowshoeing
Via Ferrata

Secure Payments

Secure Payments with Stripe and PayPal

Copyright © 2022 Hang Ten Media Ltd. All Rights Reserved | CRN: 12758831 | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions