| Stage | 9 |
|---|---|
| Type | Summit Finish |
| Date | Sunday, 11 July 2027 |
| Route | Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux → Grand Colombier |
| Distance | 162 km |
| Elevation | 3,750 m |
This is the first time the overall contenders have to climb for a long time with nowhere to hide. The Grand Colombier from Culoz is 17.4 km at 7.1%, and on a climb that long the gaps can run to minutes as well as seconds.
The mountain has a short, rich Tour history. Thomas Voeckler crossed it first in 2012 on his way to a stage win, and Tadej Pogačar won the first summit finish here in 2020. It is one of three summit finishes in 2027, with Les Saisies and the Col du Portet still to come.
The stage starts flat across the Dombes before the race reaches the Jura and the climbing begins. The Col du Berthiand, 6.3 km at 7.5%, the Côte des Neyrolles, 3.6 km at 7.7%, and the Col de Richemond, 7.7 km at 6%, come in sequence and will strip the peloton down.
The final ascent starts in Culoz and takes what Christian Prudhomme calls the most scenic flank of the mountain: 17.4 km at 7.1% to the summit at 1,501 m. With a rest day to follow, expect the climbers' teams to set a hard pace from the bottom and the leaders to attack in the final kilometres.
“The first real test in the mountains.”
With around 3,750 metres of climbing on the stage, this will be the first real opportunity for the overall contenders to test one another in the mountains and establish an early hierarchy.
Stuey's 2027 route review, October 2026
Stuart O'Grady OAM OLY
4 x Tour de France Stage Winner
Stand on the Grand Colombier. On a climb this long you watch the race come apart rider by rider, and the crowd on the upper slopes makes the noise that tells you who is coming next.
Ride it the day before. Recreational riders have tested themselves on the Grand Colombier for years, and the Culoz side is the most scenic way up. It is a serious climb at 17.4 km, and Monday's rest day gives your legs a break too.
Grand Colombier from Culoz: 17.4 km at 7.1% to the summit finish at 1,501 m.
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