La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes: the route, the cols and how to prepare
- Distance
- 174 km
- Climbing
- 5,070 m
- Highest point
- 2,557 m
- Categorised climbs
- 12 · up to 17 %
- Shape
- Point to point
Measured on the Discover route you ride free. The organiser's own figures are below.
Elevation profile
464–2,557 m · 12 categorised climbsThe 6 biggest of 12 categorised climbs, in the order you ride them.
La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes is one of the classic Alpine sportives: 177 km and 5,000 m of climbing from Le Bourg-d'Oisans over the Col du Glandon, the Col du Télégraphe and the Col du Galibier, back down by the Lautaret, and up the 21 hairpins of Alpe d'Huez. The next edition is on Sunday 27 June 2027.
La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes at a glance
- Where
- Le Bourg-d'Oisans – Alpe d'Huez, France
- Official website
- marmottegranfondoalpes.com ↗
- Next edition
- 27 June 2027
- Route
- La Marmotte: 177 km, 5,000 m climbing
- Terrain
- Mountain — long climbs
- Facts checked
- 4 November 2026, against the sources below
Full preparation and course training require Event Coach Pro.
Free to ride. This course is one of Discover's Iconic events. Ride it free
The routes
La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes is one route.
| Route | Distance | Climbing |
|---|---|---|
| La Marmotte | 177 km | 5,000 m |
What the course asks of you
Four long climbs, each an hour or more: the Glandon first, then the long valley of the Maurienne to the Télégraphe and straight on to the Galibier, the roof of the day. The long descent by the Lautaret brings you back to Le Bourg-d'Oisans for the final climb to Alpe d'Huez, with more than 150 km in your legs.
The Marmotte is lost on the Glandon and the Galibier by riders who climb them too fast, and paid for on Alpe d'Huez. Ride every climb below your threshold, eat on every descent, and treat the Maurienne valley as a place to recover in a group.
How to prepare
The general shape of a good preparation, which Event Coach turns into a plan for your fitness, time and date:
- Train long climbs: steady efforts of 30 to 60 minutes just below your threshold match the cols of La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes far better than short intervals.
- Build the long day: rides of five to seven hours in the final two months, towards the 177 km of the route you choose.
- Practise eating and drinking on a schedule, and descending: a mountain day is as much going down as going up.
Pacing mistakes to avoid
The mistakes that cost riders the most on a day like this:
- Treating the first climb of La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes as a race: a long col ridden above the pace you can hold for hours costs you the rest of the day.
- Saving nothing for the last climb, where the most kilometres are already in your legs.
- Skipping food on the descents: the next climb starts with what you ate on the way down.
Prepare La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes with Cycloscape
Tell Event Coach you are doing La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes, your route and what you want from the day, and it builds your preparation towards 27 June 2027: structured workouts held by your trainer in ERG, Race Pacing for how to spend your effort, and Performance Lab to see whether the work is landing. Full preparation and course training require Event Coach Pro.
Frequently asked
When is La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes 2027?
On Sunday, 27 June 2027, according to the organiser.
How long is La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes?
La Marmotte: 177 km with 5,000 m of climbing. The 2027 route as the organiser lists it.
How many riders take part?
4,829 riders in 2025.
Can I ride the course of La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes in Cycloscape?
Yes, free: it is one of Discover's Iconic events. Event Coach adds the preparation around it.