Les Gets, a Tour de France “Cycling Town”

Created in 2021, the “Ville à Vélo du Tour de France” (Tour de France Cycling Town) award has adopted a unique approach that allows communities that have hosted at least once the Tour de France cycle race or the Women’s Tour de France with Zwift, to have their region’s cycle-friendly policy evaluated, be it in terms of day-to-day means of transport, leisure activities or competitions.
 The quality label is awarded in one of four ratings, symbolised by little yellow bicycles which will appear on the signs that the municipality is soon to install at the village entrances.

DH MTB, enduro, road bike or E-bike… The resort of Les Gets has been a pioneering destination since 1992 when it comes to cycling activities! Today it is one of the world’s major MTB destinations, offering an outstanding Bike Park with nearly 80 km of waymarked trails and facilities for all levels.
In terms of sporting events, the greatest mountain bikers of the last few decades have battled it out on the tracks of Les Gets. Key dates one after the other have made the resort world famous and a must-see spot in the world of mountain biking, especially since the MTB world championships in 2004 and 2022. In fact, the village of Les Gets is also an accredited “Terre de Jeux 2024” (Olympics land).

Les Gets was the first resort in Europe to acquire a fleet of self-service E-bikes, the Getslib’ bikes. Hence, since 2012, residents and visitors have benefited from the use of electric bikes to travel around the village, and the first ½ hour is free, courtesy of the municipality. Cycle paths have been built in the village centre and the resort offers various bike-friendly services and facilities (rentals, repairs, lessons, etc.).
Noteworthy facts: cyclists regularly climb the Col des Gets, the first mountain pass on the Route des Grandes Alpes; the resort has hosted the Critérium du Dauphiné cycle race on two occasions, the first of which ended at the top of the “Montée du Chéry”. The surrounding region is also known for its multiple mountain passes which have been climbed by the greatest cycling champions (Joux Plane, Ramaz, etc.).

So the resort really is the ideal base camp from which to explore along the fabulous routes taken by passionate cyclists. To complete the cycling offering, the resort is naturally a member of the “Accueil Vélo” bike-friendly network, a quality label that has once again been confirmed.

This commitment to both competitive and recreational cycling practices has also enabled the resort to obtain “Ville à Vélo” certification with a 3-bike rating out of a maximum of 4. A nice performance considering that only cities like Paris, Bordeaux, Copenhagen (Denmark) and Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) have achieved the 4-bike rating. These yellow bikes will soon appear on signs to be installed at the entrances to the village.

See you on Sunday 16 July to experience the start of the 15th stage of the Tour de France!