Semnoz – 1699m ***
Le Semnoz is the closest big ascent from Annecy. The small ski station at the top has hosted the arrival of the Tour de France and the Etape du Tour in 2013. The Semnoz is a fantastic climb. Since 2013 it has become increasingly popular with both local and international cyclists. In addition there are 5 different routes up to the summit, which provide good variety.
Col de la Forclaz – 1147m ***
At the summit you get probably one of the best views of the Annecy lake. You can climb the Col de la Forclaz from 2 completely different routes. Both ways up will be a challenge with some sections at 12/13% gradient. We would argue that the ascent from Talloires, albeit a big longer, is slightly easier than the one from Vésonne.
Col des Contrebandiers – 1054m *
The Col des Contrebandiers is almost completely unknown and a one-way route as the top is a dead end. On a clear day, you can get a great view of Mont Blanc on your way up. The quality of the tarmac is not the best, however you may not cross a single car. We would argue that the poor road surface is a price worth paying to discover this little known climb !
About 11km ascent for 600m+
Col de la Colombiére – 1613m ***
This is the closest really famous Tour de France climb from Annecy, offering two very different ascents. The climb from Le Grand Bornand is significantly easier than the one from Cluses via Le Reposoir. For an extra challenge, climb the really hard col de Romme before tackling the last hard section of the Colombière, like the cyclists of the Tour de France did in 2018.
Col de Leschaux – 897m *
It’s a 12km ascent from Sevrier with a very easy gradient. At the summit, you can enjoy a coffee stop and then decide to keep going straight for a ride around the Semnoz or just turn right and go up for an other 12km to the top of Semnoz