Minimum altitude: 167 meters
Distance: 65.8 km
Slope Aspect: North-West
Vertical Climbed: 1,297 meters (4,255 feet)
Vertical Descended: 1,253 meters
Rating: 4
Yesterday I went out for a ride in the Monts du Lyonnais, an area I know fairly well, but I have never actually ridden the famous lacets de Courzieu which have a certain reputation among local riders. It seemed like a good opportunity to finally test them out.
I started by climbing the Col de Malval from Vaugneray. It’s not a long Alpine climb, but it has plenty of character. The road quickly steepens and the tight hairpins begin to stack up. Several of the ramps push well over 10%, especially in the bends where the gradient kicks up just when you think you might get a moment of relief.
To make things more interesting, I was riding a 14 kg winter bike, and on slopes like that every extra kilo makes itself known. The climb isn’t very long, but it’s punchy and irregular, typical of the Monts du Lyonnais: short sections where you can recover followed by sharp, leg-stinging ramps.
After reaching the col, I descended towards Courzieu, where the second objective of the ride awaited: the lacets de Courzieu leading up to the Col de la Croix de Part. From Courzieu, the climb is about 6 km long with roughly 400–450 m of elevation gain, averaging a little over 7%, but again with steeper sections up to 15% scattered throughout.
The lower part of the climb is what gives the road its reputation. A sequence of tight switchbacks winds its way up the hillside, giving the ascent a surprisingly Alpine feel despite being so close to Lyon. The gradient is irregular, alternating between brief recovery sections and ramps that climb well into double digits.Ideal for lightweight mountain goats who can climb in fifteen minutes, I took nearly 3 times as long. Slow, even for me. The climb featured in stage 8 of the 2019 Tour de France was was rated category 2, Thomas de Gendt was first over the top.
At the Col de la Croix de Part, instead of taking the usual descent towards Yzeron, I tried a small variation. I followed an off-road track that connects the col directly with the hamlet of La Milionière. The descent begins on a rough road, almost more like a track than a proper road, before eventually smoothing out and joining the main Yzeron–Vaugneray road.The area around la Milioniere has an ancient lead mine that was known in Roman times, lead was used in the aquaduct that fed Lyon or Lugundum with water.
One of the great pleasures of riding in the Monts du Lyonnais is how quiet and varied the roads are. Within a relatively small area you can link together climbs like Malval, La Croix de Part, and others, creating rides that are short but demanding. The terrain constantly rolls and ramps, and even experienced riders quickly realise these hills can bite.
And on clear days there’s an added bonus: from the higher sections you sometimes get views across the Lyon plain towards the Alps in the distance, a reminder that even these modest hills sit in the shadow of much bigger mountains.
All in all, it was a short but demanding ride, and a good reminder that the Monts du Lyonnais can sting the legs, especially when tackled on a 14 kg winter bike.
Dry but a cold wind from the west, good for the ride home. Sunny at times, gray at others.
