The Col de Joux Plane is located in the Haute-Savoie region of France, between the towns of Morzine and Samoëns. The best time to visit the Col de Joux Plane for cycling is during the summer when the weather is warm and sunny.
The Col de Joux Plane is a popular climb on the northern side of the French Alps alongside others such as Col de la Ramaz, Col de la Colombière, and Col des Aravis, which are all nearby.
There are two ways to climb Col de Joux Plane.
- From Morzine (north)
- From Samoëns (south)
Starting point : Morzine
Morzine is a French town in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It is a popular tourist destination, especially for cyclists.
Morzine is situated at an altitude of 1,000m above sea level and has approximately 4,500 people.
The Col de Joux Plane is located to the south of Morzine. The climb starts around 1km outside of Morzine. It’s 10.9km long with an average gradient of 6.7%.
| Col de Joux Plane from Morzine | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 10.3km |
| Climb category | 1 |
| Elevation gain | 892m |
| Minimum elevation | 990m |
| Maximum elevation | 1,682m |
| Average gradient | 6.7% |
| Maximum gradient | 28.9% |
| Strava segment | Col de Joux Plane from Morzine |
Starting point : Samoëns
When it comes to picturesque French towns, Samoëns takes the cake.
This charming town is located in the Haute-Savoie region of France and is a popular destination for locals and tourists. Samoëns is especially well-known for its beautiful scenery and many outdoor activities, making it the perfect place to visit if you want to escape the city life’s hustle and bustle.
The Col de Joux Plane is located to the north of Samoëns. The top of the Col de Joux Plane is 10.5km from Samoëns if you take the D354 route.
This side up the Col de Joux Plane is steeper than Morzine, with an average gradient of 8.2% compared to 6.8% from Morzine.
| Col de Joux Plane from Samoëns | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 10.5km |
| Climb category | HC |
| Elevation gain | 868m |
| Minimum elevation | 823m |
| Maximum elevation | 1,691m |
| Average gradient | 8.2% |
| Maximum gradient | 12.9% |
| Strava segment | Col de Joux Plane from Samoëns |
Col de Joux Plane in the Tour de France
Col de Joux Plane is an Hors Catégorie (HC) climb that has appeared in the Tour de France 12 times. It made its debut in 1978 with Christian Seznec winning stage 17. The peloton climbs the Col de Joux Plane from Samoëns and descends to Morzine for the finish.
The last time it featured in the Tour de France was Stage 20 in 2016, with the finish in Morzine. Ion Izagirre won the stage that day.
| Year | Stage | Category | Start | Finish | First to summit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 20 | HC | Megève | Morzine | Jarlinson Pantano |
| 2006 | 17 | HC | Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne | Morzine | Floyd Landis |
| 2000 | 16 | HC | Courchevel | Morzine | Richard Virenque |
| 1997 | 15 | HC | Courchevel | Morzine | Marco Pantani |
| 1991 | 18 | HC | Bourg-d’Oisans | Morzine | Thierry Claveyrolat |
| 1987 | 22 | HC | La Plagne | Morzine | Eduardo Chozas |
| 1984 | 19 | 1 | La Plagne | Morzine | Ángel Arroyo |
| 1983 | 18 | 1 | L’Alpe d’Huez | Morzine | Jacques Michaud |
| 1982 | 17 | 1 | Bourg-d’Oisans | Morzine | Peter Winnen |
| 1981 | 17 | 1 | Serre-Chevalier | Morzine | Mariano Martínez |
| 1981 | 18 | HC | Thonon-les-Bains | Morzine | Robert Alban |
| 1978 | 17 | 1 | Grenoble | Morzine | Christian Seznec |