COL DU
GALIBIER
Fourteen hairpins. 2,642 metres. The highest pass of the Tour de France.
The preview is updated in real time
Black aluminium frame · acrylic glass · ready to hang · free shipping
Note: Printed posters are made to order for you and are excluded from the right of withdrawal in accordance with Section 312g(2)(1) of the German Civil Code (BGB).
Please enter at least a name, a date or a time.
PDF · Instant download after ordering
COL DU GALIBIER.
Henri Desgrange, the Tour's founder, called it "the monster". The Galibier is the Alps' hardest gatekeeper.
The Col du Galibier is one of the great mythical passes of the Tour de France. At 2,642 metres it is one of the highest passes regularly ridden in professional cycling – and in the final kilometres before the summit it offers one of the most dramatic landscapes in the Alps: bare rock, scree fields, a panorama from the Écrins to Mont Blanc.
The Galibier lies in the Savoie department and connects the Maurienne valley with the Briançonnais. The standard ascent comes from Valloire via the Col du Télégraphe as an intermediate stage: a long, grinding climb of 34 kilometres total and nearly 2,000 metres of altitude. The final ramp before the summit – from Plan Lachat to the top – covers 8.5 kilometres at an average gradient of 7 percent, with sections over 10 percent.
At the summit stands a monument to Henri Desgrange, the founder and long-time director of the Tour de France, who regarded the Galibier as his personal trophy. In 1911 the pass was included in the Tour for the first time – at Desgrange's insistence. He wrote afterwards: "If you reach the finish: remove your hats! A god has passed by."
The Galibier has often been ridden in combination with the Col du Lautaret, which lies 12 kilometres before the summit. The descent towards Briançon is long, technical and spectacular.
Tour history & Records.
The Galibier has been crossed in over 60 Tour stages since 1911 – more than any other pass. In several years it was the Cime de la Tour, the highest point of the Tour. In 2011, for the 100th anniversary of the Galibier in the Tour, one stage finished directly at the summit – the first and so far only time.
Most famous stage: Tour 2011, Stage 18, when Andy Schleck attacked just before the summit and rode over the Galibier alone. Cadel Evans caught him and won the Tour. In 2012 Chris Froome won a stage finishing at Alpe d'Huez that crossed both the Galibier and Croix de Fer – one of the hardest stages in modern Tour history.
Since 2021 the southern side of the Galibier (from Briançon) has borne the name "Montée Desgrange" – in honour of its most famous admirer.
What you should still know.
The poster shows the ascent from Valloire (via Télégraphe): 18 km, 1,245 metres of altitude, average gradient 6.9%, maximum 12.1%.
Yes. In personalisation mode you can enter your name, date and time. Personalisation is free of charge.
As a printed poster in 21 × 29.7 cm, 30 × 40 cm and 50 × 70 cm on 200 g/m² premium paper – optionally ready-framed in a black aluminium frame (framed also in 70 × 100 cm). Alternatively as an instant PDF download.
Usually 3–5 working days within the EU. The PDF download is available immediately after ordering.
The Galibier is a timeless gift for Tour de France fans. We also offer gift vouchers.
Further Passes
This mountain pass is also available as a minimalist graphic poster – personalised with a name and date.