The Col du Télégraphe rises straight above Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, its bends threading through woodland before a short descent into Valloire. The valley then opens around meadows, scattered houses and the stream towards Plan Lachat. Higher on the Galibier, vegetation thins, the bends tighten and the surrounding ridges fill the view. At 2,642 metres, the road reaches the highest pass of the tour. The southern descent runs towards the Col du Lautaret, then follows the Romanche valley west. Above La Grave, the jagged skyline of La Meije and its glaciers towers over the village. Tunnels and narrow valley sections lead to Lac du Chambon, followed by the descent through Le Freney-d’Oisans to Le Bourg-d’Oisans. Two substantial climbs shape this roughly 84-kilometre day.
