Col de la Loze

Col de la Loze is in Les Trois Vallées, at an elevation of 2,304 metres (7,559 ft).^[1][2] From Col de la Loze, one can ski to the nearby La Tania,^[3][4] and Le Praz.^[4] By chairlift, one can get from Col de la Loze to Courchevel and Méribel, and by button lift, one can get to La Tania.^[5] From Col de la Loze, one can also cycle to Lac Bleu [fr].^[6]

A path up the Col de la Loze was built in 2018^[2] and was officially opened on 12 May 2019.^[2] On the official opening day, there was still snow on the mountain,^[7] and it was the first French mountain pass to be cleared of snow.^[2] Motor vehicles are not permitted on the path.^[8] The path is paved on the side toward Courchevel.^[8] The path links Col de la Loze to Courchevel, and in 2020 was paved on the side to Méribel. There are future plans to continue the path to Val Thorens.^[2] It is the seventh-highest mountain pass in France,^[1] and the third-highest mountain pass in the Savoie region.^[8]

While there are multiple routes to get to the Col de la Loze, the climb through Meribel is the most notorious, and at 14.1 FIETS^{[clarification needed]} is the hardest bike climb in France.^[9] The climb averages a 7.5% gradient for 22.6 kilometres (14.0 mi) gaining nearly 1700 metres.^[10]

On 12 May 2019, the Col de la Loze held the Eiffage time trial event to commemorate its opening.^[7][11] There were 2 races: one over a distance of 22.7 kilometres (14.1 mi), and one over a shorter distance of 8.6 kilometres (5.3 mi).^[11]

The first professional cycle race to ascend to Col de la Loze was stage 8 of the 2019 Tour de l'Avenir.^[12] The stage was won by Australia's Alexander Evans.^[12]

Col de la Loze was the summit finish for stage 17 of the 2020 Tour de France,^[12] which was won by Colombian rider Miguel Ángel López.^[13] The stage included an ascent of the Col de la Madeleine, which was not in the Tour de l'Avenir stage.^[1][12] The climb up to Col de la Loze was 21.5 kilometres (13.4 mi) long, with an average gradient of 7.5%^[12] and a maximum gradient of 24%.^[14] The route followed the former path of a 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) ski lift access road used by mechanics.^[15] The ascent started in Brides-les-Bains and passed through Méribel, before turning onto the new path up to Col de la Loze.^[16] The finish point was the highest point of the 2020 Tour.^[16] Col de la Loze was one of two new summit finishes at the Tour, the other one being Grand Colombier.^[1] It featured again in the 2023 edition, with the finish taking place at the Courchevel Altiport,^[17] and next appeared in the 2025 Tour de France, being won by Ben O'Connor.^[18]

Year	Stage	Category	Start	Finish	Leader at the summit
2020	17	HC	Grenoble	Méribel (Col de la Loze)	Miguel Ángel López (COL)
2023	17	HC	Saint-Gervais-les-Bains	Courchevel	Felix Gall (AUT)
2025	18	HC	Vif	Courchevel (Col de la Loze)	Ben O'Connor (AUS)