Not just Finestre - The two climbs that broke Tadej Pogacar set to return to Tour de France route
Cycling
The 2026 Tour de France has just come to an end, but the race organizers are deep in the making of the routes for the 2027 and 2028 editions. Amongst the climbs that are set to be ridden should be the Col du Granon and the Col de la Loze.
Three legendary climbs have been recently put on the table, the first of which being the Colle delle Finestre. With the iconic Giro d'Italia climb being tackled at the Tour de l'Avenir, it might have opened way for the Tour organizers.
Whilst there the end of the stage was atop the mythical Alpine pass, all stages in major races end in the nearby ski station of Sestriere.
In 2027, the Tour de France will begin in the United Kingdom with three stages in the roads of Scotland, England and Wales. Respectively, they start and finish in Edinburgh and Carlisle; Keswick and Liverpool; Welshpool and Cardiff. The route should be announced after the end of the 2026 season.
Col du Granon returns to the Tour after 2022
It could feature the Col du Granon. Acccording to Le Dauphiné, the mayor of Saint-Chaffrey - the town at the base of the climb - has said that there was a bid to host a stage finish in either 2027 or 2028. The same has been said of the Colle delle Finèstre, and the Col de la Loze.
In 2022, the Tour de France had a stage finish at the Col du Granon where Jonas Vingegaard took a key victory, and the time gap won over a Tadej Pogacar that struggled deeply was crucial for Vingegaard's first yellow jersey win. That stage had also ridden over the Col du Galibier via Valloire, as was the case only weeks ago.
Tadej Pogacar at the 2022 Tour de France on the Col du Granon
Tadej Pogacar should face Col de la Loze once again
The French newspaper also reported on the likelihood of the return of the mythical Col de la Loze to the Tour route. First used in 2020, it was then used once again in 2023 where once again Tadej Pogacar cracked completely and saw Jonas Vingegaard go up the road with a second yellow jersey.
Both climbs are marked by their high altitude and very steep gradients, whilst the latter can be tackled in two different directions; as well as being combined with a finale in Courchevel and its altiport as happened in 2023 when Felix Gall took the victory.
Both are climbs where Pogacar has struggled deeply in the past, and this can both be used as arguments for the Slovenian to return to the Grand Boucle to pursue vengeance as had happened at Le Lioran this year; as well as providing a route that would allow for more suspence against the recent dominance of the Slovenian at the Tour de France.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment