Video: Mike Cotty tackles the Col de la Croix de Fer

Mike Cotty’s latest video for the Col Collective sees him head up the Col de la Croix de Fer – a climb that has featured 16 times in the Tour de France, the last being in 2012, the year Bradley Wiggins won the race.

Typically the pass, which links Le Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. it features on stages that finish at Alpe d’Huez.

According to Cotty, “If you ever need to be reminded exactly why you ride a bike then the Col de la Croix de Fer will not only help you find the answer but I’m sure it’ll unlock a few extra secrets along the way.”

Here’s what Cotty has to say about the ascent:

Nestled in the heart of the Rhône-Alpes and surrounded by a veritable who’s who of mountain peaks like the Galibier and Alpe d’Huez, the Col de la Croix de Fer may not be quite as well-known as its more celebrated siblings but that’s not to say it’s any less of a spectacle, quite the opposite in fact.

There’s a certain sense of freedom that the Croix de Fer instils deep inside. Is it the personal fulfilment of the challenge ahead or the feeling of escaping the everyday to explore nature aboard two wheels once more?

Waterfalls tumbling towards the valley far below with little more than the sound of your own breath for company as the road unfolds to reveal a remoteness that’s sure to soothe your soul.

If you ever need to be reminded exactly why you ride a bike then the Pass of the Iron Cross, as it’s known in English, will not only help you find the answer to this but I’m sure it’ll unlock a few extra secrets for you along the way.

Vital statistics

Start: Barrage du Verney
Length: 27.5km
Summit: 2,067m
Elevation gain: 1,295m
Average gradient: 4.7%
Max gradient: 11%