Menu 0

Tour de France L'Etape 2006 - Col du Galibier descent

March 12, 2026

The Descent off the Col du Galibier – South Side

At the summit of the Col du Galibier, the air is thin, the horizon immense, and the sense of history unmistakable. The first moments of the descent feel exposed and dramatic. 

The road drops quickly from the summit ridge, suspended high above the wide alpine valley. Glaciers and rocky peaks stretch across the skyline, including the towering presence of La Meije and Barre des Écrins, France's second-highest peak after Mont Blanc.
At this altitude, the landscape is raw and elemental. The vegetation is sparse, the colours dominated by greys, pale greens, and the deep blue of the sky; if you're lucky, it could just as easily be snowing, even at high summer. Click the picture to enlarge
Col du Galibier - Barre des Écrins. Office gifts for cyclists
The sense of cycling history is everywhere. The Tour de France has crossed the Galibier many times, and countless legendary moments have unfolded on these slopes. As the descent continues, the valley gradually widens, and the road becomes even faster. The great bulk of La Meije dominates the view to the south. Two riders at the bottom of the picture are nothing but dots set against La Meije and its glacier, as they navigate their way down around the narrow bends.
The goal here is to stay on the road and not crash.
Col du Galibier La Meije office photography print
With the traffic gone, only the hum of tyres and the rush of air accompany the descent. The landscape slowly softens — patches of grass replace bare rock, and the valley opens toward the gentle crossroads of the Col du Lautaret below. 
For those who love cycling, the Col du Galibier is more than a mountain pass. It is a place where the scale of the Alps, the history of the sport, and the beauty of the road come together in a single moment. You will suffer to get here without a doubt, but don’t let anyone tell you it isn’t worth it because it most definitely is. You are now a part of that history and can feel it in every fibre of your broken and battered body. 
Lean into it. You have earned it.

Col du Lautaret - After the Storm Where the top of the Col du Lautaret meets the bottom of the Col du Galibier. Cycling prints by davidt
Le Col du Lautaret.

The Col du Lautaret is an unloved climb, or today a descent. It has too much traffic of every description, moving much too fast for comfort, forcing you to spend every second just trying to stay safe and never allowing the time to take in the beauty all around you, especially on the road down to La Grave and La Meije glacier. But it is there in abundance, and today it's all yours to enjoy. This is your next goal.
Click the picture to enlarge.
Col du Lautaret with the La Meije Glacier Great cycling climbs by davidt
The road down towards Alpe d'Huez and the Col de Sarenne is fast, bumpy, with tunnels and an assortment of traps to catch out the unwary, but most of all, it's downhill. At this point in the day, that's all that matters.
Col de Sarenne - Valley - Cycling Office Art, Cycling Prints, Gifts for Cyclists, Cycling
Eventually, the route turns off the main road and starts uphill again. I could talk all day about how beautiful and remote the Col de Sarenne is, but it doesn't matter. This is the hill you will die on.
Col de Sarenne - Cycling Art, Cycling Prints, Gifts for Cyclists, Cycling Photography Prints,
This is the final goal. 
This bend is meters from the summit of the Col de Sarenne. Take a moment to glance back and take in one of the last of the disappearing wildernesses.

Collections.


Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.

Follow

Cycling photography prints for the cyclist in your life.

All the prints are bespoke, printed-to-order products. Please allow a few working days for printing and dispatch. All the prints are Giclée prints, printed on 308gsm Hahnemühle fine art paper. All prints are of the highest quality, bleach-free, and will last many years.
Please get in touch via email or the contact page if your order is especially urgent, we can usually accommodate a reasonable deadline.

Copyright statement

All photography remains the copyright of davidtphotography - All rights reserved. Copyright does not transfer with the sale of any print.

No part of this website or its content may be copied, reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, screen captures, AI scrapers or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of davidt.

Outside is Free

Website by davidt

© 2026 davidtphotography.com. All rights reserved.

American Express Apple Pay Diners Club Discover Google Pay iDEAL Wero Klarna Maestro Mastercard PayPal Union Pay USDC Visa