A public petition launched in November is demanding the removal of the Col de Sarenne from the Tour de France 2026 route, directly threatening Stage 20’s queen stage from Le Bourg-d’Oisans to Alpe d’Huez.
The organisers “want to transform the Col de Sarenne into the biggest stadium in the world,” petitioners say, arguing that mass crowds would endanger protected wildlife in a Natura 2000 zone at the height of the July breeding season. Cyclism’Actu first reported the campaign has passed 3,400 signatures, with other French outlets noting the count moved beyond 5,000 by November 23.
At the heart of the challenge is a prefectural biotope protection order covering the Marais du Col de Sarenne that prohibits sporting events unless the Préfète of Isère, Catherine Séguin, grants a specific exemption following scientific advice. As of publication there is no public confirmation that such authorisation has been requested or issued, and Amaury Sport Organisation has not responded to the petition. The Col de Sarenne, at 1,999 metres, is slated to be the decisive final climb before the descent to the Alpe d’Huez finish on July 25.
Opponents highlight the sensitivity of ground‑nesting species including Capercaillie and Ptarmigan, warning that “hundreds of thousands” of spectators funnelled into the Vallée du Ferrand would risk disturbance at the moment chicks hatch. The same course is due to host L’Étape du Tour six days earlier, with around 16,000 amateur riders, a second influx that environmental groups say multiplies the impact.
On the sporting side, Tour director Christian Prudhomme has promoted Stage 20 as the route’s crescendo, citing an unprecedented 5,600 metres of climbing on the eve of Paris and referencing “a dominant champion like Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)” when arguing to keep the general classification alive to the last possible moment, as reported by Les Affiches de Grenoble et du Dauphiné. Removing Sarenne would significantly blunt the stage’s selective power and could reshape the late-race GC battle.
The inclusion of the Col de Sarenne is not a new controversy. In 2013, when the Tour first crossed the pass, a high‑signature petition and threatened legal action led local authorities to cancel planned road works, close the road for six days and exclude the public from the protected marsh to avoid breaching the biotope order, according to contemporaneous NGO accounts. A similar package of restrictions, or a late reroute, are the most plausible outcomes if authorisation is not granted.
Cover picture credit: Alex Broadway/ASO/SWpix.com
