Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne is a working town, with no pretensions, in the bottom of the Maurienne valley, and its great virtue for a rider is its position: it is the foot of the road to the Galibier. The town of just over three thousand people lies at around 700 metres on the river Arc, with train tracks, factories and a long industrial history behind it, and the valley walls rise steeply on both sides. Valloire, the nearest village on the climb, is a pleasant mountain resort a little way beyond the first col.
As a starting point, it is hard to beat. There are petrol stations, bakeries, supermarkets and small hotels, and it is easy to get away. The road climbs first to the Col du Telegraphe, at around 1,566 metres, through forest in a series of regular bends, then dips to Valloire before the long, open climb to the Col du Galibier, at about 2,642 metres, one of the great passes of the Alps. The road is well surfaced, with sweeping views, though wind, cold and sudden weather changes at the top are real hazards. It is closed by snow for much of the year, usually from late autumn to early summer, so check before you go. Early starts are rewarded with cool air and light traffic, since cyclists and campervans crowd the road later.
The valley has a rich and often hard history. For centuries it was a route between France and Italy, used by merchants, armies and pilgrims, and the local people farmed steep pastures and mined in the mountains. Industry arrived in the nineteenth century, with hydroelectric power and aluminium and chemical works, and the railway to Italy through the Frejus tunnel ran through the valley and made Saint-Michel an important junction. Today its role is quieter, but the railway still hums.
The Galibier has become a legend among cyclists, since the Tour de France first crossed it in 1911, and a monument near the summit honours Henri Desgrange, the race's founder. The Telegraphe takes its name from a fort and an optical telegraph station built on the summit in the nineteenth century. Nature changes steadily as you climb, from valley woodland to alpine meadows, rock and snow, with marmots whistling among the stones and choughs wheeling above.
Fill the tank here, pack layers, and enjoy the climb.