“Col du Télégraphe” Details (Zwift Climb Portal)

This climb was first used in the Tour de France in 1911, with Emile Georget the first rider to reach the summit. The Télégraphe has featured in many Tours since, not so much because it’s special in itself, but because it provides access to the Galibier afterward. In fact, this massive Télégraphe-Galibier combination is exactly what the pros will take on for the tour’s Queen Stage in 2026!

This climb can start from the south in Valloire, or from the north in Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne. Zwift’s version begins from the north to match stage 20 of the 2026 Tour de France. In that stage, riders will climb up the Télégraphe from Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, descend to Valloire, then head up the Galibier. (This Galibier ascent from Valloire is also a Zwift Climb Portal.)

A bit of trivia: the Col du Télégraphe is named after the Chappe optical telegraph tower that was built on its rocky ridge at the end of the 18th century. The Chappe system used a mast with large mechanical arms to visually signal coded semaphore messages between relay stations.

Here’s the verified IRL Strava segment: