The Col du Télégraphe (1,556m) is a mountain pass in the French Alps, located in the department of Savoie in France. It connects the town of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to the north and Valloire to the south.
Col du Télégraphe can be climbed from two directions;
- Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne (north)
- Valloire (south)
Starting point : Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne
Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne is located north of Col du Télégraphe. It’s a 12.1km climb, averaging 7.0%. The first half is steeper (7 to 9%) than the second half (5 to 6%).
Many cyclists do the Col du Télégraphe and Col du Galibier combination. Once reaching the top of Col du Télégraphe, continue to descend into Valloire, 4.7km away, before climbing up the Col du Galibier.
| Col du Télégraphe from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 12.1km |
| Climb category | HC |
| Elevation gain | 1,042m |
| Minimum elevation | 714m |
| Maximum elevation | 1,584m |
| Average gradient | 7.0% |
| Maximum gradient | 47.5% |
| Strava segment | Col du Télégraphe from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne |
Starting point : Valloire
Valloire is situated south of the Col du Télégraphe. The climb starts from a higher elevation of 1,325m and is only 4.7km long, averaging a gentle 3.4%.
If you’re coming from the south from Le Bourg d’Oisans or Briançon, you’ll climb Col du Galibier first before descending into Valloire and doing a short climb up Col du Télégraphe from Valloire.
| Col du Télégraphe from Guillestre | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 4.7km |
| Climb category | 4 |
| Elevation gain | 169m |
| Minimum elevation | 1,325m |
| Maximum elevation | 1,486m |
| Average gradient | 3.4% |
| Maximum gradient | 8.5% |
| Strava segment | Col du Télégraphe from Valloire |
Col du Télégraphe in the Tour de France
The Col du Télégraphe has featured in the Tour de France 21 times, making its debut in 1947 and as recent as Stage 11 in 2022.
In recent years, the Tour de France has ascended from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne in the north, a Category 1 climb. The peloton will then make a short descent before continuing to the Col du Galibier, which goes above 2,000m above sea level.
| Year | Stage | Category | Start | Finish | First to summit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 11 | 1 | Albertville | Col du Granon | Pierre Latour |
| 2017 | 17 | 1 | La Mure | Serre-Chevalier | Primož Roglič |
| 2011 | 19 | 1 | Modane | Alpe d’Huez | Gorka Izagirre |
| 2007 | 9 | 1 | Val d’Isère | Briançon | Mikel Astarloza |
| 2005 | 11 | 1 | Courchevel | Briançon | Santiago Botero |
| 2003 | 8 | 2 | Sallanches | Alpe-d’Huez | Pierrick Fédrigo |
| 1999 | 9 | 1 | Le Grand-Bornand | Sestrières | José-Luis Arrieta |
| 1998 | 15 | 2 | Grenoble | Les Deux-Alpes | Rodolfo Massi |
| 1993 | 10 | 2 | Villard-de-Lans | Serre-Chevalier | Thierry Claveyrolat |
| 1989 | 17 | 4 | Briançon | Alpe-d’Huez | Franco Vona |
| 1980 | 17 | 3 | Serre-Chevalier | Morzine | Johan De Muynck |
| 1979 | 17 | 2 | Moûtiers | Alpe-d’Huez | Giovanni Battaglin |
| 1974 | 11 | 2 | Aix-les-Bains | Serre-Chevalier | Herman Van Springel |
| 1972 | 14b | 3 | Valloire | Aix-les-Bains | Pietro Campagnari |
| 1969 | 10 | 2 | Chamonix | Briançon | Joaquim Galera |
| 1967 | 10 | 2 | Divonne-les-Bains | Briançon | Julio Jiménez |
| 1966 | 16 | 2 | Bourg-d’Oisans | Briançon | Julio Jimenez |
| 1964 | 8 | 2 | Thonon-les-Bains | Briançon | Federico Bahamontes |
| 1957 | 10 | 2 | Thonon-les-Bains | Briançon | Gastone Nencini |
| 1955 | 8 | 2 | Thonon-les-Bains | Briançon | Charly Gaul |
| 1947 | 8 | 1 | Grenoble | Briançon | Fermo Camellini |