Bonneval-sur-Arc
The D902 climbs the last valley of the Haute-Maurienne, in Savoie, France, from Lanslebourg through Bessans to Bonneval-sur-Arc. It is the southern approach to the Col de l’Iseran on the Route des Grandes Alpes, the road from Lake Geneva to Nice promoted by the Touring Club de France. On 27 July 1939 a Tour de France stage from Briançon came up this valley to finish in Bonneval, where Pierre Jaminet won. That same afternoon a time trial over the Iseran started from the village.
Beyond Lanslebourg the road crosses a small pass and drops to Bessans, a Nordic-skiing village known for its carved devils. The first was made in 1857 by Étienne Vincendet, a church singer, after the priest refused the singers their yearly meal: it shows a devil carrying off a priest. The valley then opens out towards Bonneval, one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France. The village’s mayor, Gilbert André, was one of the founders of the Vanoise National Park. The ride ends just past the village, where the climb to the Iseran begins.
Region: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
City: Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis
Distance: 18.54 km
Elevation Gain: 476 m
Elevation Loss: 91 m
Difficulty: 324 (Easy)
FIETS Index: 0.8 FIETS
Avg Grade: 2.08 %
Max cat climb: 2
Min elevation: 1406 m
Max elevation: 1791 m
Ride Category: Hilly