My solo nomination: the Col d'Agnel.
A little known but stunning and very high pass on the France/ Italy border.
Four of us had driven to Embrun together, and next morning we set off in already warm conditions. It was a pretty long ride, 80 miles in total, returning by the same route.
First up the Durance valley on a lovely balcony road, then up the gorge of the Combe du Queyras, all so far gentle climbing and not too hot.
The road turns off and kicks up seriously after the Fort Queyras:
Then a few hairpins and a long, lonely and beautiful road up a high valley to the Col, the high peaks of the Ecrins behind - here youngest Tuesday.
Now feeling distinctly hot, despite approaching 2500m, the spectacular Pain du Sucre (Sugar Loaf) hoves into view before the summit...
...at 2744m. Here after one of our number needed to sit down and recover for 20 minutes, likely an altitude effect.
A excellent late lunch at the high altitude refuge just below the Col should have been followed by a gentle roll back, but alas the last 25 miles from Fort Queyras featured a howling headwind up the valley, and a fight all the way back in 30+ degree heat.
We collapsed happy, 127km and 2600m climbing all told.
