The history of the productTHE GALIBIER

THE GALIBIER PASS IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST ROAD PASSES IN THE ALPS

It has become a mythical pass for cyclists and cyclotourists since 1911, the year of its first ascent in a race during which only one cyclist reached the summit without setting foot on the ground.

The Galibier can be approached from the North, starting from Saint Jean-de-Maurienne in Savoie via the Col du Télégraphe or from the South via the Col du Lautaret. In both cases, the ascent includes more than 30kms of climbing.

Since 1911, it has been crossed more than 70 times in a race with finishes often judged at the foot of the descent, in Valloire or Briançon, for example. A century after the first ascent, in 2011, a summit finish was judged there for the first time.

Over the years, thanks to the technical progress of bicycles, the Galibier has become accessible to cyclotourists. Thus, the Galibier Challenge is now organized every year and is open to women and men over 17 years old.