Cormet de Roselend

Pain de sportif is a brioche baked with dried fruits and nuts, and one most deserving of its name and favour among the cyclists of the Savoie department. Because here is where giants rub shoulders, where Croix de Fer faces off with the Galibier as Iseran looks on, Petit Saint-Bernard at her heel. This part of France requires dense calories, and that’s precisely where any rider looking to tackle this month’s Classic Climb, the Cormet de Roselend, should begin: ordering a slice of pain de sportif from Beaufort’s favourite bakery, Pouilloux Boulangerie.

Beaufort, of course, is most famous for its cheese, and though it seems desperately unlikely as you sit on your top tube