In August 2024, it’s time for another Alpine tour. For the first time, not on a Bimota – but at least on another Italian machine: a brand-new Ducati Monster. With just 166 kg dry weight and 111 horsepower, it has everything you need to have a lot of fun. The destination once again is the Western Alps. The roughly 2,500-kilometer tour follows the Route des Grandes Alpes all the way to the Mediterranean. On the return journey, many other famous mountain passes are on the agenda.
28 Passes in 5 Days
1 Col de la Colombière (1613 m)
2 Col des Aravis (1487 m)
3 Col des Saisies (1650 m)
4 Cormet de Roselend (1967 m)
5 Col de l’Iseran (2764 m)
6 Col du Télégraphe (1566 m)
7 Col du Galibier (2645 m)
8 Col du Lautaret (2058 m)
9 Col d’Izoard (2360 m)
10 Col de Vars (2109 m)
11 Col de la Cayolle (2326 m)
12 Col de Valberg (1673 m)
13 Col de la Couillole (1678 m)
14 Col Saint Martin (1500 m)
15 Col de Turini (1607 m)
16 Col de Castillon (706 m)
17 Col de Tende (1870 m)
18 Col de Larche (1991 m)
19 Col de la Bonette (2715 m)
20 Col de la Lombarde (2350 m)
21 Col Agnel (2744 m)
22 Pas de la Confession (1542 m)
23 Col du Glandon (1924 m)
24 Col de la Madeleine (1993 m)
25 Col Petit St. Bernardo (2188 m)
26 Col Grand St. Bernardo (2469 m)
27 Col de Champex (1498 m)
28 Col de la Forclax (1527 m)
As in 2023, the tour begins with around 800 kilometers on highway, heading toward the Besançon area, where I leave the car, trailer, and backup motorcycle with a friend. From there, the first leg takes us over the Jura Mountains to Lake Geneva, and on to the day’s final destination: Cluses, our gateway to the Route des Grandes Alpes.
Stage 2 covers 325 kilometers and crosses eight mountain passes on the way to Briançon. Highlights along the route include the roughly 40-kilometer-long Cormet de Roselend, the Col de l’Iseran – at 2,764 meters, the highest paved pass in the Alps – and the Col du Galibier.
Stage 3 spans 310 kilometers and takes in another eight passes from Briançon all the way to Menton on the Mediterranean Sea. Highlights of this stage include the Col d’Izoard right at the beginning, and near the end, the legendary Col de Turini, a staple of the Monte Carlo Rally.
The fourth stage covers 340 kilometers, heading back from the sea into the mountains. From Menton, the route crosses the Col de Tende to Borgo San Dalmazzo in Italy. As the tunnel beneath the pass is closed for maintenance, the detour follows the old mountain road – normally closed to traffic. An adventure featuring 48 tight hairpin bends, and from about halfway on, gravel roads.
From Borgo San Dalmazzo, we head over the Colle della Maddalena to Jausiers in France. From there, we climb to the Col de la Bonette, which, at 2,715 meters, is one of the highest paved passes in the Alps. The route then continues via Isola and the Col de la Lombarde back into Italy, with Cuneo as our destination for the day.
Stage five covers 330 kilometers from Cuneo to Albertville. After about 80 kilometers from Cuneo, we reach the Col d’Agnel at 2,744 meters and cross the border into France. From there, it’s a descent into Ville Vieille before climbing again to the Col d’Izoard, which we ride for the second time – this time in the opposite direction. Briançon, the Col du Lautaret, and Alpe d’Huez are key stops on the way to the final three passes of the day. After crossing the Col de la Confession, the Col du Glandon, and the Col de la Madeleine, we arrive at our destination: Albertville.
Day six is a circular tour – from Albertville back to Albertville – crossing three countries and circling the Mont Blanc massif. We ride counterclockwise, starting with the Cormet de Roselend toward Bourg-Saint-Maurice. From there, we take the Col du Petit Saint-Bernard into Italy’s Aosta Valley. From Aosta, we head north over the Col du Grand Saint-Bernard into Switzerland, reaching Orsières. There, we leave the busy main road and take a scenic side route over the Col de Champex to Martigny. The return to France follows the Col de la Forclaz into Chamonix. This stretch offers stunning views of Mont Blanc and its remaining glaciers. Back in Albertville, the GPS reads just under 350 kilometers.
The final stage, from Albertville back to Besançon, begins heading northwest over the Massif des Bauges to Lac d’Annecy. From Annecy, the route continues via Valserhône to the last mountain section over the Jura Mountains.
In the end, it’s seven fantastic days of motorcycling, with dozens of mountain passes, thousands of curves, and nearly 50,000 meters of elevation gain.
