A brutally steep classic climb to Planche des Belles Filles
France, europe
5.9 km
1,148 m
moderate
Year-round
# Planche des Belles Filles
Tucked away in the Vosges Mountains within France's Haute-Saône department, Planche des Belles Filles sits pretty at 1,148 meters (3,766 feet) above sea level. The name literally means "Beautiful Girls," though it actually comes from the local vegetation—so don't let the romantic-sounding title fool you!
The climb up via D16-D16E is a beast. Starting from Plancher-les-Mines, you're looking at a 5.9 km (3.7 mi) assault on your legs with 503 meters (1,650 feet) of elevation gain. The average gradient hangs around 8.5%, but things get spicy near the top—we're talking a brutal 28% stretch that'll make your quads scream. This climb absolutely destroyed egos when Chris Froome first conquered it during the 2012 Tour de France, claiming his first stage victory in La Grande Boucle.
What makes this road infamous isn't just the punishing gradient; it's the relentless, constantly changing steepness from bottom to finish. Unlike most French roads with their carefully engineered, predictable slopes, Planche des Belles Filles keeps you guessing with unforgiving elevation changes at every turn. The road itself is wide enough for two cars to pass comfortably, but that paved surface leads to a genuinely feared ski slope finale that's humbled countless cyclists.
Fair warning: this climb isn't for the faint of heart. It's one of the most notorious and feared ascents in the entire Vosges range, and it shows absolutely zero mercy from start to finish.
Where is it?
A brutally steep classic climb to Planche des Belles Filles is located in France (europe). Coordinates: 45.9777, 2.5906
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 5.9 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,148 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- 45.9777, 2.5906
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