The Col des Saisies is a mountain pass (1,657m) in France’s Savoie département. It connects the towns of Flumet in the north and Bourg-Saint-Maurice in the southeast n the French Alps.
The Col des Saisies is popular with cyclists as it has been regularly used in the Tour de France as recently as 2021.
There are two ways to climb the Col des Saisies;
- From Flumet via Crest Voland (north)
- From Villard-sur-Doront (south)
Starting point : Flumet
Flumet is located to the north of Col des Saisies.
Among the two ways up to Col des Saisies, the Flumet route is the shortest at 9.6km and averages 6.2%, starting from a higher elevation of 1,021m above sea level.
Alternatively, you can also start from Flons which is 4.5km southwest of Flumet. Both ways will bring to Crest-Voland where the gradient starts to get steeper.
| Col des Saisies from Flumet | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 9.6km |
| Climb category | 2 |
| Elevation gain | 609m |
| Minimum elevation | 1,021m |
| Maximum elevation | 1,618m |
| Average gradient | 6.2% |
| Maximum gradient | 10.2% |
| Strava segment | Col des Saisies from Flumet |
Starting point : Villard-sur-Doron
Villard-sur-Doron is a small French village situated south of Col des Saisies. This is where the actual Strava segment for the climb starts. The climb is 15.3km long with an average gradient of 6.3%.
You can refuel and replenish at Beaufort, 4.5km east of Villard-sur Doron, before climbing the Col des Saisies as there are no shops in Villard-sur-Doron.
| Col des Saisies from Villard-sur-Doron | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 15.3km |
| Climb category | HC |
| Elevation gain | 983m |
| Minimum elevation | 679m |
| Maximum elevation | 1,636m |
| Average gradient | 6.3% |
| Maximum gradient | 10.6% |
| Strava segment | Col des Saisies from Villard-sur-Doron |
Col des Saisies in the Tour de France
The Tour de France passed Col des Saisies 13 times; from 1979 to 2021. In 2021, Wout Poels was the first to summit the Col des Saisies from Flumet and continued to win the stage in Tignes.
| Year | Stage | Category | Start | Finish | First to summit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9 | 1 | Cluses | Tignes | Wout Poels |
| 2020 | 18 | 2 | Méribel | La Roche-sur-Foron | Marc Hirschi |
| 2010 | 9 | 1 | Morzine-Avoriaz | Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne | Jérôme Pineau |
| 2009 | 17 | 1 | Bourg-Saint-Maurice | Le Grand-Bornand | Thor Hushovd |
| 2006 | 17 | 1 | Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne | Morzine | Patrice Halgand |
| 2002 | 17 | 1 | Aime | Cluses | Mario Aerts |
| 2000 | 16 | 1 | Courchevel | Morzine | Marco Pantani |
| 1995 | 9 | 1 | Le Grand-Bornand | La Plagne | Federico Muñoz |
| 1994 | 18 | 1 | Moûtiers | Cluses | Peter De Clercq |
| 1992 | 13 | 2 | Saint-Gervais | Sestrières | Claudio Chiappucci |
| 1987 | 22 | 2 | La Plagne | Morzine | Omar Hernández |
| 1984 | 19 | 2 | La Plagne | Morzine | Pedro Delgado |
| 1979 | 16 | 2 | Morzine-Avoriaz | Les Menuires | Henk Lubberding |