Almost 6,000 signatures. Is the Col de Sarenne in danger for the 2026 Tour de France?

As reported by CyclismActu regarding the petition, "The organisers of the 2026 Tour de France want to transform the Col de Sarenne into the biggest stadium in the world," writes petition organiser Matthieu Stelvio. "Placed at the end of the stage, the climb could bring hundreds of thousands of spectators."

The Col de Sarenne is scheduled to feature as the final climb on stage 20, the race's Queen Stage, before riders finish at the iconic Alpe d'Huez ski resort. If included, it would mark the Tour's first ever ascent of the mountain.

Stelvio highlighted specific concerns about television helicopters disturbing nesting birds and spectators damaging delicate plant life. He warns that the "rare and fragile flora" of the area "will be trampled by the crowds, perhaps even crushed by hundreds of vehicles, hundreds of tents."

Inside the petition, it raises fundamental questions about suitable locations for major sporting events. "Is this really the place to organise an event that could gather as many spectators as 10 Stade de France stadiums?" Stelvio asks in the petition. "Nature is more important than this spectacle-business (which has often proven to be a sham). And the organisers of the Tour de France don't care about nature."

This isn't the first time the environmentalist has challenged Tour organisers ASO about using the Col de Sarenne. In 2013, when the Tour descended the same mountain between two ascents of Alpe d'Huez, Stelvio launched a petition that gathered more than 12,000 signatures. Despite writing an open letter to ASO, he reportedly received no response.

The 2026 route plans would see both the professional peloton and amateur riders traversing the controversial climb. L'Étape du Tour de France sportive, in which approximately 16,000 amateurs tackle a Tour stage, will use the route on 19 July, six days before the professional race.