44 replies to this topic

[Velo Peloton]

Col du Tourmalet is the most used climb in the Tour de France, 2012 was the 82nd time it has been used, including 2 stage finish at the summit in 1974 and 2010 and 3 at La Mongie. From Soulom on the western side you have 1km down hill, then 12km through Gorge de Luz at an average of 3% to Luz Saint Sauveur from where the climb officially starts. From there it is 19 km to the summit at 7.5% to an altitude of 2115m. From the summit there is a further 5.5km at 9.4% to Col du Laquettes at an altitude of 2636m, most of the time this is suitable for mountain bike only but some years it is repaired and can be ridden on a road bike, from here you can climb by foot to the observatory on the summit of the Pic de Midi, it is just over 2800m, the view is breath taking, on a clear day you can see the Massif Central. If you're lazy you could take your bike up in the cable car from Le Mongie and ride down, mountain bike advised, the cable car is €30.

Col du Tourmalet map with live weather and webcams.

From the east the climb starts at Sainte Marie de Campan and is 16.5 km at 7.5%. The first 4.5km are nothing before it kicks up to over 8% for the remaining 12km.





The name of "Col du Tourmalet" is often wrongly translated to English as "Bad Detour". From French it would kinda mean that but it is in the Gascon language and not French. It means "Long Mountain". There is also the fact that is was not a detour but rather the main road into the Pays Toy. Before the road D921 was built through the Gorge de Luz in the mid nineteenth century, the road across the Tourmalet was the only one. The Gorge de Luz was an impassable wilderness and only a high altitude track from Soulom or Cauterets or across the Spanish border would take you into the valley. The name "Pays Toy" comes from French "Pays" meaning country and Gascon "Toi" meaning small. "Toi" was a nickname given to the mountain people by the inhabitants of the plains to the north.

[Velo Peloton]

View Col du Tourmalet in a larger map

Route from Gorge de Luz to Col du Tourmalet

Starting from Route de Luz/D921

1	Head southeast on Route de Luz/D921 Continue to follow D921
2	Turn left onto Rue de Barèges/D918
3	Turn left to stay on Rue de Barèges/D918 Continue to follow D918
4	Slight left onto Tourne Bouc
5	Turn right toward Touët et Labach
6	Slight right onto Touët et Labach
7	Turn left onto D918
8	Turn right to stay on D918
9	Take the 1st left onto Tourmalet/D918 Continue to follow D918

Arriving at D918

Total: 28.4 km - about 2 Hours 15 mins

 

Webcams on Pic du Midi (2670m) overlooking Col du Tourmalet (2115m)

[Velo Peloton]

Profiles of Col du Tourmalet recorded with Garmin GPS.





Col du Tourmalet from Sainte Maria de Campan - Eastern slope.

[Velo Peloton]

2012 will be the 82nd time the Tourmalet has been used by Le Tour.
This list is of the first rider on each stage.
2012 - Thomas Voeckler - France
2011 – Jérémy Roy – France
2010 – Andy Schleck – Luxembourg
2010 – Christophe Moreau – France
2009 – Franco Pelizzotti – Italy
2008 – Rémy Di Gregorio – France
2006 – David de la Fuente – Spain
2003 – Sylvain Chavanel – France
2002 – Lance Armstrong – U.S.A. (La Mongie)
2001 – Sven Montgomery – Switzerland
1999 – Alberto Elli – Italy
1998 – Alberto Elli – Italy
1997 – Javier Pascual-Rodriguez – Spain
1995 – Richard Virenque – France
1994 – Richard Virenque – France
1993 – Tony Rominger – Switzerland
1991 – Claudio Chiappucci – Italy
1990 – Miguel Martinez-Torres – Spain
1989 – Robert Millar – Scotland
1988 – Laudelino Cubino – Spain
1986 – Dominique Arnaud – France
1985 – Pello Ruiz-Cabestany – Spain
1983 – Patrocinio Jimenez – Columbia
1980 – Raymond Martin – France
1978 – Michel Pollentier – Belgium
1977 – Lucien Van Impe – Belgium
1976 – Francisco Galdos – Spain
1975 – Lucien Van Impe – Belgium
1974-2 – Gonzalo Aja – Spain
1974-1 – Jean-Pierre Danguillaume (Stage Finish)
1973 – Bernard Thévénet – France
1972 – Roger Swerts – Belgium
1971 – Lucien Van Impe – Belgium
1970-2 – Andres Gandarias – Spain
1970-1 – Bernard Thévenet – France (La Mongie)
1969 – Eddy Merckx – Belgium
1968 – Jean-Pierre Ducasse – France
1967 – Julio Jimenez – Spain
1965 – Julio Jimenez – Spain
1964 – Julio Jimenez – Spain
1964 – F Bahamontes – Spain
1963 – F Bahamontes – Spain
1963 – Raymond Poulidor – France
1962 – Federico Bahamontes – Spain
1961 – Marcel Queheille – France
1960 – Kurt Gimmi – Switzerland
1959 – Armand Desmet – Belgium
1957 – José Da Silva – Portugal
1955 – Miguel Poblet – Spain
1954 – Federico Bahamontes – Spain
1953 – Jean Robic – France
1952 – Fausto Coppi – Italy
1951 – Bim Diederich – Luxembourg
1950 – Kléber Piot – France
1949 – Fausto Coppi – Italy
1948 – Jean Robic – France
1947 – Jean Robic – France
1939 – Edward Vissers – Belgium
1938 – Gino Bartali – Italy
1937 – Julian Berrendero – Spain
1936 – Sylvère Maes – Belgium
1935 – Sylvère Maes – Belgium
1934 – René Vietto – France
1933 – Vicente Trueba – Spain
1932 – Benoit Faure – Belgium
1931 – Joseph Demuysere – Belgium
1930 – Benoit Faure – France
1929 – Victor Fontan – France
1928 – Camille Van de Casteele – Belgium
1927 – Nicolas Frantz – Luxembourg
1926 – Odiel Taillieu – Belgium
1925 – Omer Huyse – Belgium
1924 – Ottavio Bottecchia – Italy
1923 – Robert Jacquinot – France
1921 – Hector Heusghem – Belgium
1920 – Firmin Lambot – Belgium
1919 – Honoré Barthélémy – France
1914 – Firmin Lambot – Belgium
1913 – Philippe Thys – Belgium
1912 – Odiel Defraye – Belgium
1911 – Paul Duboc – France
1910 – Octave Lapize – France

[Velo Peloton]

From the summit looking down the Vallee du Bastan towords Bereges and Luz.

[Velo Peloton]

[Paddy Sweeney]

As of this afternoon, the Col du Tourmalet is passable. It is not officially open, I think that will be on Thursday or Friday this week. I took this photo 4km from the summit, I could see the snowploughs clearing the snow in the last kilometre.

[Velo Peloton]

My first ride to the summit in 2012.

View image in gallery


View image in gallery
The road to La Mongie was still closed.

[Paddy Sweeney]

3km from the summit on the western slope.

[Paddy Sweeney]

Géant au Col du Tourmalet at his winter home in Tarbes, you can see the Pic du Midi in the background.



http://www.velopelot...l-du-tourmalet/

[Paddy Sweeney]

Very hot today, 25c at the summit.

[Paddy Sweeney]

Col du Tourmalet opened today.

[marc-pierre]

Contador on the Tourmalet yesterday.

http://www.cyclingne...s-the-tourmalet

[Paddy Sweeney]

Riders from Comeragh Cycling Club at the summit.

[Paddy Sweeney]

Miguel Indurain in Luz in July 2011.