Grand Ballon and Markstein 89 km

This trip for the racing bike takes you twice across the highest crest in the Vosges hills, and offers great views and a beautiful scenery. The trip starts off in the Seebach valley near Fellering, at a parking lot next to a swamp area. You then follow a marked cycling route (VV33, Voie Vert 33, in the Thur valley) on quiet roads and cycling paths to the village of Moosch. Here you cross the busy N66 and start the climb to the Col du Grand Ballon, the highest col in the Vosges. The first part is on a smooth road, but quiet. After the village Geishouse, the road becomes smaller and the condition of the tarmac is bad enough to make your climb more challenging! The road is quiet through forests and with occasional great views of the Grand Ballon. The last stretch of the forest road is steepest until you get to the famous Route des Crêtes, a beautiful scenic road following the crest of hills between Grand Ballon and Col de la Schlucht. Here you turn right for the last 1.4 km to the summit. This climb of 12.6 km with an average of 7.5% and an ascent of 951 m is the second most difficult climb in the Vosges. After a possible break on the top you continue down towards Uffholtz, and leave the main road after 6.5 km for a smooth descent on a quiet road through the forest to Soultz-Haut-Rhin. From here, in the Rhine valley, you turn towards Guebwiller and follow the valley of the Lauch river upstream. You avoid the busier D430 road until you no longer can, and then climb further on this smooth but busy road to le Markstein. This climb of 22.8 km with an average of 3.9% and an ascent of 923 m is considerably more easy than the other climb of the day. On the summit you cross the Route des Crêtes again and descend on the very smooth descent towards Kruth. At the end of the descent at the reservoir you turn left for the last stretch to Kruth. Here you leave the main road and find the VV33 cycling route again, which takes you on quiet roads and cycling paths through the Thur valley back to the starting point.