Reaching an altitude of 1,999 meters, the road leading to the Col de Sarenne is beautiful and wild. Closed for eight months of the year, this road is a pastoral route, reserved for shepherds. The speed limit is 20 km/h. The GR54 long-distance hiking trail runs alongside this road and in some places coincides with it. Located within the Écrins National Park's buffer zone, the Col de Sarenne is one of those beautiful and rare places where you can still breathe pure air.
The organizers of the 2026 Tour de France want to transform the Col de Sarenne into the world's largest stadium. Indeed, the queen stage of the 2026 Tour (the most decisive and mountainous) is scheduled to finish on this pass (before descending to the Alpe d'Huez ski resort for the finish line). Positioned at the end of the stage, the ascent of Sarenne could attract tens of thousands of spectators (or even hundreds of thousands: such figures have already been mentioned for the classic road of Alpe d'Huez). [4]
Thirteen years after a first, controversial passage through Sarenne, the crowd is this time expected on the wilder side of the road, on the Ferrand valley side. The Alpine National Botanical Conservatory considers that "the faunal diversity [of the Ferrand valley and the Emparis plateau] is remarkable" and that "the excellent state of conservation of most of the natural habitats […] which are relatively undisturbed […] allows for the survival of rare animal species." [2]
On July 25, 2026, a very large number of people are expected to crowd into the Ferrand Valley. This valley is usually populated by marmots, foxes, chamois, short-toed eagles, stoats... as well as fragile black grouse : emblematic gallinaceous birds that nest on the ground and whose chicks hatch in July, that is, during the Tour de France . [1, 2] Not forgetting the rock partridges, which also nest on the ground and whose chicks are born... in July . [13, 14, 15] Not forgetting the ptarmigans, relics of the Ice Age, which also nest on the ground and whose chicks are born... in July . [1, 2, 7, 13] Grouse, ptarmigan, and rock partridge—these three gallinaceous birds are on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species. [16] Their decline is notably linked to over-visitation by humans and disturbance of nests. [7, 14] In terms of location and timing, it's hard to find a worse place to attract crowds.
And that's not all. To broadcast the spectacle of the Sarenne climb, helicopters will fly extensively over the Ferrand and Romanche valleys, where several pairs of golden eagles (rare and protected birds of prey) nest, their chicks taking flight... in July . [2] In addition, the runners will enter the Ferrand valley via Lake Chambon, an area where a pair of bearded vultures nests, giving birth each year to a chick that fledges... at the beginning of summer. [10] The largest bird of prey in Europe, the bearded vulture is endangered in France. Only 18 chicks fledged in 2025 in the French Alps. [11, 16, 17] In the Écrins massif, 75% of the chicks born in 2025 did not survive. Helicopter overflights are believed to be the primary cause of breeding failure in bearded vultures. [12]
Six days before the Tour de France passes through, the Col de Sarenne will be used by 16,000 cyclists during an amateur race called L'Étape du Tour. As in 2013, the influx of cyclists to Sarenne is likely to last for several weeks, further disturbing precious and vulnerable wildlife.
According to a NATURA 2000 document, the Ferrand Valley is one of the "richest regions in France from a botanical point of view." [2] And it is this rare and fragile flora that risks being trampled by the crowd, perhaps even crushed by hundreds of vehicles, hundreds of tents… Near the Sarenne Pass, the road passes just a few meters from a fragile wetland protected by a prefectural decree. [3] This decree states that "the biotope of a species results from the interactions between the fauna, the flora, and the physical and chemical characteristics of the environment, and that a disturbance or damage to one of these elements can lead to a harmful imbalance." "Therefore, it is necessary to regulate activities within the perimeter [of the wetland] in order to ensure the preservation and tranquility of certain biotopes essential to the survival of several protected animal species." This decree prohibits any sporting event within an area that could be trampled by the crowds of the Tour de France. [3] Is this really the place to organize an event that could gather as many spectators as 10 "Stade de France"?
As in 2013, work could be carried out, just for a single day of racing. And this, not at the request of the local population, but at the request of the Tour de France organizers! In 2013, fords were transformed into small bridges, which subsequently encouraged tourists to travel to the Col de Sarenne by car rather than on foot, to the detriment of the wildlife.
Nature is more important than this spectacle-business (which has often proven to be a sham). And the organizers of the Tour de France couldn't care less about nature. They proved it in 2013 by remaining silent in the face of an open letter accompanied by a petition signed by more than 12,000 people, refusing any alternative (the wild climb of Sarenne could have been replaced by a passage through Villard Reculas in 2013 – the same in 2026). How can we believe that a company that manages, beyond the Tour, events like the Dakar Rally and other rallies, cares about wildlife? Does the fact that TotalEnergies is an official partner of the 2026 Tour de France prove otherwise?
On the other hand, many financiers would like to expand the Alpe d'Huez ski area and are eyeing Sarenne. [8] In the long term, this passage of the Tour de France through a place that has been so well preserved until now is perhaps the second step towards massive overdevelopment. In 1952, when cyclist Fausto Coppi won at Alpe d'Huez, he triumphed amidst marmots and a few farmers in a tiny ski resort. Seventy years later, Alpe d'Huez has extended its steel tentacles over one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in France and wants to expand even further, without any regard for the tranquility of nature (going so far as to organize electronic music festivals in the heart of the mountains). [5, 6] What do we want to leave to future generations? A planet of steel and concrete? Isn't it time to say stop to those who want to defile what we hold most dear? NATURE IS NOT A STADIUM.
By signing this petition, I oppose the passage of the 2026 Tour de France through the Col de Sarenne and the works that would result from it.
Text and photos: Matthieu Stelvio, initiator of the 2026 petition (and the 2013 petition). Traduction by Google. Contact and sources: https://lebruitdv.blogspot.com