France · Alps
Col de la Croix de Fer
A grand Tour classic linking the Maurienne to the Romanche valley. The iron cross at the summit is an iconic Tour de France image.
- Length
- 29.0 km
- Avg gradient
- 5.2%
- Max gradient
- 12%
- Elevation gain
- 1,508 m
- Summit
- 2,067 m
- Hairpins
- 22
Versants
- From Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne — 29.0 km at 5.2% (max 12%)
History
The iron cross that sits atop the Col de la Croix de Fer has become one of the Tour de France's most iconic images — a simple steel monument visible for kilometers from lower elevations. The cross itself was erected in the 1930s as a memorial to fallen soldiers, and it has stood as a symbol of the road ever since.
The climb from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is 29 km at only 5.2% average, which means it's a long endurance climb rather than a steep one. The road winds through deep valleys and Alpine meadow, gradually gaining elevation as it follows river drainage basins upward.
The pass sits at 2,067 m and is a natural linking climb between the Maurienne and Romanche valleys. The Tour has used it as a strategic climb many times — not as a stage finish but as a midstage point to influence racing and split the peloton. The low gradient makes it rideable by most cyclists, but the length is its real demand.