Authorities have restricted vehicle access to L’Alpe d’Huez ahead of back-to-back mountain stages at the Tour de France 2026. Hundreds of police officers are deployed as massive crowds gather on the famous 21 hairpin bends, prompting safety concerns from riders and team officials as the race reaches its decisive Alpine phase.
Vehicle Bans and Police Deployment as Crowds Swarm the Alpine Climb
Police closed the road early on Thursday afternoon, with reports of a 20km traffic jam on the valley road. Only pedestrians and cyclists are permitted on the ascent outside of race windows, while camper vans have been barred from the pass since Wednesday evening. Local authorities have mobilized hundreds of police officers to manage the influx of spectators.
The safety measures follow social media videos showing fans partying on the road, slowing official vehicles and police cars. Thousands of spectators ascended the climb early, though French police quickly required cyclists to walk. Campers and tents have lined the switchbacks since Monday and Tuesday, echoing the massive turnouts recorded during previous editions, such as the million people who reportedly packed L’Alpe d’Huez when Lance Armstrong won a time trial on the climb.
Riders Express Apprehension Amid Growing Hooligan Element
The intense atmosphere has raised anxiety among competitors in the peloton.
“C’est la folie,”
Cyclingnews
A video by Le Dauphiné Libéré and other people trying to reach L’Alpe d’Huez captured the atmosphere on the climb on Thursday, with groups of fans, perhaps drunk and excited for the Tour, singing and dancing on the road. Fireworks were set off, and the noise of the partying and police sirens could be heard miles away from the L’Alpe d’Huez ski resort above. On Friday morning some team trucks had to drive up to L’Alpe d’Huez, as did other race vehicles. Thousands of people rode the climb early in the morning but French police soon forced all cyclists to walk, as is often the rule on major Tour climbs.
« J’espère juste que tout se passera bien » Paul Seixas was the first to s’en méfier after the 18e étape. Even if the prodige français s’attends à une fête incroyable, il espère surtout ne pas chuter dans la montée car je pense qu’il y aura beaucoup de spectateurs. On a vu que c’était assez dangereux. J’espère…
Reflecting on his first experience of the climb, Paul Seixas expresses safety worries. Other contenders share those safety worries. Remco Evenepoel noted that the narrowness of the road can make the ascent frightening. Team managers also voiced alarm over fan behavior.
Back-to-Back Summit Finishes Shape the General Classification Showdown
The 2026 race marks the first return to L’Alpe d’Huez since 2022, featuring consecutive summit finishes across Friday and Saturday. Friday’s stage 19 departs from Gap and tackles the traditional 21 hairpin bends after crossing the col Bayard and col du Noyer. Saturday’s route starts in Bourg d’Oisans, includes the Col du Galibier and then returns to L’Alpe d’Huez via the Col de Sarenne and the back road to the ski resort.
The 19th stage on Friday will be a ride from Gap. The finish will see riders tackle the traditional climb with its 21 hairpins. This second Alpine leg initially crosses the col Bayard and col du Noyer before bringing the riders to the foot of one of the world’s most famous climbs. Saturday’s stage includes the Col du Galibier and returns to L’Alpe d’Huez via the Col de Sarenne and the back road to the ski resort, while Friday’s ride from Gap ends on Alpe d’Huez’s traditional 21-hairpin climb. Alpe d’Huez will host consecutive summit finishes on Friday and Saturday, as the Tour de France’s intense Alpine trilogy concludes, with the general classification at stake. The Tour returns to Alpe d’Huez for the first time since 2022. Organisers have scheduled back-to-back stages finishing at the summit, each with unique approaches.
The race finishes twice at Alpe d'Huez, from different approaches. Some riders thrive on this kind of challenge. I think we'll see a battle between the top contenders for the general classification,
said the race organisers’ sports director Gilles Maignan.
Defending yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogačar leads the general classification by four and a half minutes over Remco Evenepoel, though illness within the UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad introduces tactical uncertainty. UAE sports director Mauro Gianetti expressed hope that Pogačar can secure a victory on a iconic climb that has thus far eluded his palmarès.
Can UAE keep a lid on things so that Tadej Pogačar gets a prestige win for his palmarès?
A Storied Alpine Tradition and the Dutch Corner Legacy
The legendary ascent first hosted a summit finish on July 4, 1952, when Fausto Coppi won the 10th stage of the Tour. Hoteliers at the resort had paid the equivalent of €400,000 to host the stage, but organizers waited until 1976 before it became a fixture again due to a muted initial response. The climb established its modern identity between 1976 and 2008, driven by Dutch victors and hordes of orange-clad fans camping out annually.
In 1952, hoteliers at the nascent ski resort paid out the equivalent of €400,000 to host the Tour’s first summit finish, but despite a prestigious winner in the shape of Fausto Coppi, the day was not deemed a success. A local artisan by the name of Jean Barbaglia had floated the idea of bringing the Tour to the Alpe, reckoning the climb’s 21 hairpin bends made for a natural amphitheatre. Rather than seeing riders simply flash past, spectators on the roadsides could watch their heroes grind their way slowly up the mountain towards them. Fausto Coppi was the first winner on Alpe d’Huez on July 4, 1952 on the 10th stage of the 1952 Tour, which started in Lausanne.
As the peloton tackles the dual ascents, the juxtaposition of festival celebration and rider safety defines the weekend’s climax.
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