Col du Galibier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Col du Galibier | |
|---|---|
 Col du Galibier |
|
| Elevation | 2,645 metres (8,678 feet) |
| Location | Savoie/Hautes-Alpes,  France |
| Range | Graian Alps |
| Coordinates | |
Col du Galibier (el. 2645 m.) is a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is often the highest point of the Tour de France.
It connects Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and Briançon via the col du Télégraphe and the Col du Lautaret. The pass is closed during the winter. It is located between the massif d'Arvan-Villards and the massif des Cerces, taking its name from the secondary chain of mountains known as the Galibier.
Before 1976, the tunnel was the only point of passage at the top, at an altitude of 2556 m. The tunnel was closed for restoration until 2002, and a new road was constructed over the summit. The re-opened tunnel is a single lane controlled by traffic lights which, at 2400 m., must be amongst the highest in Europe.
Contents |
[edit] Details of the climb
From the north, starting at Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne (including the Col du Télégraphe), the climb is 34.8 km long, gaining 2120 m. in height (an average of 6.1%). The actual climb to the summit starts at Valloire and is 18.1 km long at an average of 6.9% (height gain: 1245 m). The maximum gradient is 10.1% at the summit.
From the south, the climb starts from the Col du Lautaret (el. 2058 m.) and is 8.5 km long at an average gradient of 6.9% (height gain: 585 m) with a maximum of 12.1% at the summit.
[edit] The Tour de France
The Col du Galibier was first used in the Tour de France in 1911; the first rider over the summit was Emile Georget, who, with Paul Duboc and Gustave Garrigou were the only riders not to walk.[1].
The original summit was at 2556 m. but with the closing of the tunnel in 1976, the tour route now goes over the pass closer to the mountain peak at 2645 m.
At the south portal of the tunnel, at the edge of the road, there is a monument to Henri Desgrange, instigator and first director of the Tour de France. The memorial was inaugurated when the tour passed on 19 July 1949. Whenever the tour crosses the Col du Galibier, a wreath is laid on the memorial. The "Souvenir Henri Desgrange" is awarded to the first rider across the summit of the highest mountain in each year's tour. In 2006, the prize of 5000 euros was claimed on the Col du Galibier by Michael Rasmussen.
Since 1947, the Col de Galibier has been crossed 29 times by the Tour de France. It was scheduled to be used in 1996, but was left out at the last minute due to bad weather. As a result of snow on both the Col de l'Iseran and the Col du Galibier, the scheduled 190 km stage from Val-d'Isère to Sestriere in Italy was reduced to a 46 km sprint from Le-Monetier-les-Bains which was claimed by Bjarne Riis, resulting in him taking the yellow jersey which he retained to the finish in Paris..
In the 2007 Tour, the Col du Galibier was crossed on 17 July in the 159.5 km stage 9 from Val-d'Isère to Briançon.
[edit] Appearances in the Tour de France (since 1947)
| Year | Stage | Category | Leader at the summit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 9 | HC | Mauricio Soler |
| 2006 | 16 | HC | Michael Rasmussen |
| 2005 | 11 | HC | Alexandre Vinokourov |
| 2003 | 8 | HC | Stefano Garzelli |
| 2002 | 16 | HC | Santiago Botero |
| 2000 | 15 | HC | Pascal Hervé |
| 1999 | 9 | HC | José-Luis Arrieta |
| 1998 | 15 | HC | Marco Pantani |
| 1993 | 10 | HC | Tony Rominger |
| 1992 | 14 | HC | Franco Chioccioli |
| 1989 | 17 | HC | Gert-Jan Theunisse |
| 1987 | 21 | HC | Pedro Munoz |
| 1986 | 18 | HC | Luis Herrera |
| 1984 | 18 | HC | Francisco Rodriguez |
| 1980 | 17 | HC | Johan De Muynck |
| 1979 | 17 | HC | Lucien Van Impe |
| 1974 | 11 | 1 | Vicente Lopez-Carril |
| 1973 | 8 | 1 | Luis Ocana |
| 1972 | 14a | 1 | Joop Zoetemelk |
| 1969 | 10 | 1 | Eddy Merckx |
| 1967 | 10 | 1 | Julio Jimenez |
| 1966 | 16 | 1 | Julio Jimenez |
| 1964 | 8 | 1 | Federico Bahamontes |
| 1959 | 18 | 2 | Charly Gaul |
| 1957 | 10 | 1 | Marcel Janssens |
| 1955 | 8 | 1 | Charly Gaul |
| 1954 | 19 | 1 | Federico Bahamontes |
| 1952 | 11 | 1 | Fausto Coppi |
| 1948 | 14 | 2 | Lucien Teisseire |
| 1947 | 8 | 1 | Fermo Camellini |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Les Woodland (2003). The Yellow Jersey companion to the Tour de France. Random House, p.151. ISBN 0-2240631-8-9.
[edit] External links
- North Side details on Tour de France day
- Profile from Valloire on climbbybike.com
- Profile from Col du Lautaret on climbbybike.com
- Route guide for climbing the Galibier by bicycle
- Le col du Galibier dans le Tour de France (French)
- Col du Galibier cycling. Profiles and pictures (French)
