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[Velo Peloton]

Col d'Aspin (1489m) is in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées. It connects Sainte-Marie-de-Campan to the west, in the upper Adour valley, with Arreau to the east, on the River Neste.

From Sainte-Marie-de-Campan (west), the climb is 12.8 km at 5% and the altitude gain is 642m. This is the easy side, only the last 5 kilometres are difficult. The first seven kilometres of the climb have little difficulty, there is one kilometre @ 6% starting at 8 km from the summit. But after passing the ski station at Payolle (1100m) it kicks up dramatically with one kilometre averaging 10%. From there to the summit is much more difficult with a winding ascent in a coniferous forest and an average of 7.5% for the remainder of the climb. The final kilometre is 6.5%.

From Arreau (east), the climb is much more difficult. Col d'Aspin is 12 km long @ 6.5%. The first 2 kilometres are rather rolling, 4% and 3% respectively. The slope becomes more serious with one kilometre @ 8% after the junction with the small road on the left, leading to Aspin-Aure . This side of the Col d'Aspin is characterised by the winding road and a mixture of hardwood forests and pastoral meadows. Five kilometres from the summit begins a steep kilometre @ 9.5%. The final kilometres have an average of 8% and a few portions aof straight road.
The climb is 12 km at 6.5% and the altitude gains 779m.

From either side it is not a particularly hard climb, it has gained legendary status due to it's frequent use in Le Tour de France. 2012 was the 71st passage since 1910. Compared to some of it's neighbours it is rather unmemorable. However, the saving grace of the climb is the spectacular scenery, it truly is beautiful with views of Col du Tourmalet to the west and Col de Peyresourde and Col de Val Louran Azet to the east. Along with Peyresourde, Tourmalet, Soulor and Aubisque, it forms "The circle of Death".


September 2012 looking East to Arreau.


July 2012, from the summit looking west to Col du Tourmalet and Pic du Midi.





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[Velo Peloton]

View Col d'Aspin in a larger map

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A September morning in 2012.


Looking east to Col de Peyresourde.




Looking west to Pic du Midi and Col du Tourmalet.

[Velo Peloton]

Charles Cruchon crossing the summit, 1910 Tour de France.

[Velo Peloton]

Year	Stage	Category	Start	Finish	Leader at the summit
2012	16	1	Pau	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Thomas Voeckler (FRA)
2010	16	1	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Pau	Anthony Charteau (FRA)
2009	9	1	Saint-Gaudens	Tarbes	Franco Pellizotti (ITA)
2008	9	1	Toulouse	Bagnères-de-Bigorre	Riccardo Riccò (ITA)
2006	11	1	Tarbes	Val d'Aran-Pla-de-Beret	Fabian Wegmann (DEU)
2004	12	1	Castelsarrasin	La Mongie	Michael Rasmussen (DEN)
2003	15	1	Bagnères-de-Bigorre	Luz-Ardiden	Sylvain Chavanel (FRA)
2001	14	1	Tarbes	Luz-Ardiden	Bobby Julich (USA)
1999	16	1	Lannemezan	Pau	Mariano Piccoli (ITA)
1998	10	1	Pau	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Rodolfo Massi (ITA)
1997	9	2	Pau	Loudenvielle	Pascal Hervé (FRA)
1995	15	1	Saint-Girons	Cauterets–Crêtes du Lys	Richard Virenque (FRA)
1994	12	1	Lourdes	Luz-Ardiden	Richard Virenque (FRA)
1991	13	2	Jaca	Val-Louron	Claudio Chiappucci (ITA)
1990	16	1	Blagnac	Luz-Ardiden	Claudio Chiappucci (ITA)
1989	10	2	Cauterets	Superbagnères	Robert Millar (GBR)
1988	15	1	Saint-Girons	Luz-Ardiden	Samuel Cabrera (COL)
1986	13	1	Pau	Superbagnères	Dominique Arnaud (FRA)
1985	17	2	Toulouse	Luz-Ardiden	José Del Ramo (ESP)
1983	10	1	Pau	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Patrocinio Jiminez (COL)
1982	13	1	Pau	Saint-Lary-Soulan–Pla d'Adet	Michel Laurent (FRA)
1980	13	1	Pau	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Raymond Martin (FRA)
1979	3	1	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Pau	René Bittinger (FRA)
1978	11	2	Pau	Saint-Lary-Soulan–Pla d'Adet	Michel Laurent (FRA)
1977	2	2	Auch	Pau	Luis Balague (ESP)
1976	15	2	Saint-Lary-Soulan	Pau	Gerben Karstens (NED)
1975	11	2	Pau	Saint-Lary-Soulan–Pla d'Adet	Lucien Van Impe (BEL)
1974	17	2	Saint-Lary-Soulan	La Mongie	Jean-Pierre Danguillaume (FRA)
1973	14	2	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Pau	José-Manuel Fuente (ESP)
1972	8	2	Pau	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Roger Swerts (BEL)
1971	16A	2	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Gourette–les-Eaux-Bonnes	Lucien Van Impe (BEL)
1970	18	1	Saint-Gaudens	La Mongie	Primo Mori (ITA)
1969	17	2	La Mongie	Mourenx	Joaquim Galera (ESP)
1964	16	2	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Pau	Julio Jiménez (ESP)
1963	11	2	Bagnères-de-Bigorre	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Guy Ignolin (FRA)
1963	12	3	Pau	Saint-Gaudens	Federico Bahamontes (ESP)
1961	17	2	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Pau	Marcel Queheille (FRA)
1960	11	2	Pau	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Kurt Gimmi (SUI)
1959	11	2	Bagnères-de-Bigorre	Saint-Gaudens	Jean Dotto (FRA)
1958	14	2	Pau	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Federico Bahamontes (ESP)
1956	12	2	Pau	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Nino Defilippis (ITA)
1955	17	2	Toulouse	Saint-Gaudens	Charly Gaul (LUX)
1954	12	2	Pau	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Louison Bobet (FRA)
1953	11	2	Cauterets	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Jean Robic (FRA)
1952	17	2	Toulouse	Bagnères-de-Bigorre	Raphaël Geminiani (FRA)
1951	14	2	Tarbes	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Fausto Coppi (ITA)
1950	11	2	Pau	Saint-Gaudens	Kléber Piot (FRA)
1949	11	2	Pau	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Apo Lazarides (FRA)
1948	8	2	Lourdes	Toulouse	Jean Robic (FRA)
1947	15	1	Bagnères-de-Luchon	Pau	Jean Robic (FRA)
1939					Edward Vissers
1938					Gino Bartali
1937					Julián Berrendero
1936					Yvan Marie
1935					Félicien Vervaecke
1934					Antonin Magne
1933					Vicente Trueba
1927					Nicolas Frantz
1926					Lucien Buysse
1925					Omer Huyse
1924					Ottavio Bottechia
1923					Robert Jacquinot
1922					Jean Alavoine
1921					Hector Heusghem
1920					Firmin Lambot
1919					Honoré Barthélémy
1914					Firmin Lambot
1913					Philippe Thys
1912					Louis Mottiat
1911					Paul Duboc
1910			Luchon	Bayonne	Octave Lapize

[Velo Peloton]

[color=rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;]Col d'Aspin, looking east into vallée d'Aure, on 10th March 2013.[/color]

 

[color=rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;][/color]

[color=rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;]The view to the west, Vallée de Campan, Col du Tourmalet and Pic du Midi.http://www.velopelot...l-du-tourmalet/[/color]