If you love to drive, you’ll love the road to Madone d'Utelle
France, europe
5.6 km
1,177 m
extreme
Year-round
Okay, picture this: the Madone d'Utelle, a mountaintop sanctuary chilling at 1,177 meters (3,861 feet) in the Alpes-Maritimes, France. Getting there? It's an adventure! The M132 is paved, but seriously narrow. Think "hold your breath and pray no one's coming" narrow. Reversing skills? Essential. Motorbikers, you'll love this! The M32 and M132 are hairpin heaven, steep as heck, and wonderfully tight. Just brace yourself for some traffic until you hit Utelle.
This road is so epic, it's been featured in the Paris-Nice race! The climb is a leg-burner, reaching a max gradient of 14% in spots. From the M32, it's a 5.6 km push, gaining 357 meters, averaging a 6.37% gradient.
Once you reach the sanctuary, the road tempts you onwards another 800 meters, even narrower now, to an orientation table (1,194m) and the TDF antenna. The payoff? Killer views of the mountains, Nice, and the sparkling sea. Seriously stunning stuff!
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 5.6 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,177 m
- Difficulty
- extreme
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