5,400m, Four Legendary Climbs: My 2026 L’Étape du Tour
The 2026 L’Étape du Tour — my second — wasn’t just the hardest route the event has ever thrown at us, it carried the most elevation of any stage at the Tour de France. As soon as the route was announced, we knew it was going to push us to our limits.
Over 170km we’d climb four famous mountains — the Croix de Fer, the Télégraphe, the Galibier and the Col de Sarenne — before finishing on top of Alpe d’Huez, coming at it from the back, for a grand total of 5,400m of climbing.
L’Étape is superbly well organised, from picking up your number to finding your starting pen, and the support staff and feed stations en route are everywhere. My start time was 7:15am and I arrived at my pen in good time — just enough time to realise how nervous I was. My pockets and top tube bag were stuffed with food, carb mix, electrolytes and a puncture repair kit. Looking around, I seemed to be the only one carrying quite that much, but I knew from last year that I’d need it.
We set off and I got completely caught up in the excitement, enjoying the fast rollout and even leading a group for a while — until the road tilted up towards the Croix de Fer. The climb starts in the forest, but the trees soon give way to views that stretch for miles. This is where I caught up with Andrew, which gave me another boost. A quick chat, and then it was time to push on and over.
I’d been looking forward to that first descent, but it was a sharp reminder that we’re all breakable. Three people were lying injured at the side of the road at different points, being tended to by ambulance crews. Further down I saw a rescue team abseiling to someone who’d probably gone straight on at a bend and over the edge. I slowed down. Finishing in one piece mattered more than finishing fast.
Then came the Télégraphe, where I bumped into Justas at the top — a complete surprise, as I was hunting for water at the time. We were both cooking in the heat and both very glad to see the back of that climb. Only a short descent later and we were onto the Galibier, at 2,642m the highest of the day.
This is where my back started to complain. I stopped once on the way up and again at the top to stretch and refill my bottles. Remembering to keep eating and drinking was becoming a real effort, and I was starting to feel dizzy — altitude, as I now know. The mountain is completely exposed and the sun beats down on you, but you also feel like you’re on top of the world, with views to match.
The descent off the Galibier though? Pure joy. Some fantastic bends at the top where I kept it sensible, then the road widened and straightened and we could really let go. Top speed: 84kph! The road runs through a string of tunnels where I could barely see a thing, but there was no time to slow down. Justas later pointed out that I could have taken my sunglasses off. Rookie mistake!
At the foot of the Col de Sarenne I stopped to stretch, drink and give myself a water bottle shower. It was brutally hot and I was feeling every degree. Keep eating, keep drinking, I kept telling myself.
The climb was slow, hard and roasting. Someone at the roadside hosed me down, and the water was so cold it took my breath away. On the way up I stopped three times to stretch my back out, but I got there in the end. A bumpy descent and two little kicks followed, and then we were flying down towards the finish. That last stretch felt like a race track and I somehow found the power to somewhat push again.
My husband was waiting at the finish line and I couldn’t believe I’d made it. The relief, and then the rush of happiness, was something else.
We collapsed into a restaurant chair, where I had a very well-earned beer and poured over the stats with Anwar while we waited for the others to roll in.
So what did I take from it? The views alone were worth every pedal stroke. And the camaraderie — training together, spending the weekend together — was brilliant. The atmosphere was electric: everyone excited and exhausted in equal measure, some chatty, some very much not, and all the supporters out on the road cheering not just for their own person but for you too. They genuinely give you strength.
I finished in the top 35% of the 661 women and in the top half of all 12,699 finishers and it shows me what I’m actually capable of. I said that I never need to do this again — but once I’d sat down and recovered a bit, I had to admit that if the route’s a good one, I’ll want to be there. Who’s up for a challenge?
The chip times:
Me – 9:50:29
Justas – 11:10:38
Andrew – 11:37:12
Haydar – 12:12:12
Jacob – 12:14:53
Giles sadly couldn’t finish because of severe altitude sickness. Our friends Jojo and Philippe didn’t make it to the line either — Jojo because the route was temporarily closed after an accident, and Philippe because he never intended to finish in the first place, preferring to enjoy the day and the weekend instead. Honestly? No arguments here — he may have been the sensible one of us all.
