Col de la Madeleine
Mountain pass in the French Alps
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Col de la Madeleine (el. 1,993 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Savoie in France which connects La Chambre in Maurienne with La Léchère in Tarentaise. The pass is closed from November to the beginning of June.
History
John Ball, in his 1863 A guide to the western Alps described the Col de la Madeleine thus:
This pass is traversed by a well-marked mule-path, much frequented by the country people, being the shortest way from the Maurienne to Tarentaise, but is rarely visited by foreigners.
Its altitude was given as 6,637 feet (2,023 m).[1]
Cycling
Details of the climb
The southern approach from La Chambre (via the D213) is 19 km long, gaining 1,522 m at an average gradient of 8.01%, with a maximum of 13.5%.[2]
The southern approach from La Chambre via Montgellafrey is 19.8 km long, gaining 1,520 m at an average gradient of 7.68%, with a maximum of 12.5%.[3]
The northern approach can be accessed via Feissons-sur-Isère. From Feissons-sur-Isère (through La Léchère), the climb is 24.5 km. long, gaining 1,543 m at an average gradient of 6.3%, with a maximum of 12%.[4] For the 2012 Tour de France, the height at the summit is shown as 2,000 m., whereas in previous years it has been shown as 1,993 m.[5]
On both sides of the Col de la Madeleine mountain pass cycling milestones are placed every kilometre. They indicate the distance to the summit, the current height, and the average slope in the following kilometre. Such signposting for cyclists has become common in most major mountain passes in the French Pyrenees and Alps.
Appearances in Tour de France
The pass was first included in the Tour de France in 1969 and has since featured 28 times.[5] For the 2012 Tour de France, the Col de la Madeleine was described as "beautiful, but heartbreaking" by The Daily Telegraph.[6]
It has been ranked hors catégorie every year since 1995.
Appearances in Tour de France Femmes
Col de la Madeleine featured as the finish of Stage 8 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes.[7]
| Year | Stage | Start of stage | Distance (km) | Category | Stage winner | Yellow jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | Chambéry | 111.9 | HC |  Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA) |
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (FRA) |
