Six reasons to sign up to L’Étape du Tour de France 2025 with Alzheimer’s Research UK

In its 33rd year for 2025, L’Étape du Tour de France is a truly special ride that’s on the bucket list of many a cyclist. Join around 16,000 others on 20 July, all riding for their own reasons: to race, to simply complete the route, to raise money for a charity close to their heart. This year’s entire route takes place in the Savoie region of France — from Albertville to La Plagne — and directly replicates stage 19 of the Tour de France. You’ll cycle 131km, tackling five cols and 4,500 metres of ascent along the way. That’s no easy feat, but one that will bring a huge amount of satisfaction.

An event that every cyclist should experience at least once, it sells out fast, with all general entries for 2025 already snapped up. You can still grab a ticket to ride, however, and do it for a good cause too — that’s a win-win in our eyes. By taking up a charity place, you’ll be raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK, a charity that funds essential research to revolutionise the way dementia is treated, diagnosed and prevented.

You’re doing it for all the right reasons if you sign up to ride for charity (and it should give you even more motivation, both to train and on the day itself). Dementia devastates lives. One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime — either by caring for someone with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both. By riding for Alzheimer’s Research UK, you’re raising money for an extremely worthwhile cause. Your efforts will contribute towards pioneering research into finding a cure for dementia, something that can’t happen soon enough.

The amateur event is organised by ASO, the organisers of the Tour de France, so you get the exact same route, which passes through the same towns and villages and, most importantly, tackles the same monster climbs. There’s also Mavic mechanical assistance (both roaming and stationary) and the roads are completely closed (more on this later). Medical assistance and feed stations are also included for all riders. As you’d expect from such a high profile company, the organisation is excellent — from signing up to after the event, when you’ll probably be keen to check out your ride photos.

L’Étape always takes place on a mountain stage and this year it follows Stage 19, from Albertville to the ski station at La Plagne (yes, that means it finishes up a very very long climb). For the Tour de France riders, this will be the last true mountain stage, and follows on from the Queen’s stage. Your breath will be taken away by more than just the beautiful vistas. There are four cols to tackle before you climb up to the finish: Côte d’Héry-sur-Ugin (11.3km, 5.1% average gradient); Col des Saisies (13.7km, 6.4% average gradient); Col du Pré (12.6km, 7.7% average gradient); Cormet de Roselen (5.9km, 6.3% average gradient).

Riding 130km on entirely closed roads is not something you get to experience very often, but that’s what L’Étape gives you. You’ll ride under the same conditions as the professionals, so you can climb undistracted by overtaking vehicles and descend without the fear of an oncoming car. Enjoy the silence and focus of motor-free roads, the company of a huge number of cyclists, the support of spectators and nothing else.

Finding the motivation to get fitter or stronger can be hard at times and you might even feel like riding such a tough event is unrealistic. It doesn’t have to be, so don’t let that though deter you. Signing up and using L’Étape as a target will kickstart your training and keep you going through the low points. You may want to get around the route in a specific time, but even if completion is your aim, you can find some inspiration and ideas for workouts in our training plans.

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Six reasons to sign up to L’Étape du Tour de France 2025 with Alzheimer’s Research UK

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