Plateau de Beille

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Coordinates: 42°43′31.2″N, 1°41′27.15″E Plateau de Beille is a ski resort in the Pyrenees. It is situated in the Ariège department, in the Midi-Pyrénées. The winter sports station lies at a height of 1790 meters.

The ski station is located between Tarascon-sur-Ariège and Ax-les-Thermes, close to the Spanish border. The ski slopes are at between 1650 and 2000 m. The station is the most important in the Pyrenees for ski touring.

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[edit] Details of climb

Starting from Les Cabannes (535 m.), the climb to the Plateau de Beille (1790 m.) is 15.8 km long. Over this distance, the climb is 1255 m. (an average of 7.9%). The maximum gradient is 10.8%.

[edit] Tour de France

The yellow jersey arriving during the Tour de France 2007.
The yellow jersey arriving during the Tour de France 2007.

Plateau de Beille has been the finish-line for a Tour de France-stage four times - 1998, 2002, 2004 - including stage 14 of the 2007 Tour. All four times the stage winner has gone on to win the Tour - Lance Armstrong (2002 & 2004), Marco Pantani (1998) and Alberto Contador (2007).

[edit] Tour de France stage finishes

Year Stage Start of stage Distance (km) Category of climb Stage winner Yellow jersey Time
2007 14 Mazamet 170 HC Alberto Contador Michael Rasmussen 44:08
2004 13 Lannemezan 205.5 HC Lance Armstrong Thomas Voeckler 45:30
2002 12 Lannemezan 198 HC Lance Armstrong Lance Armstrong 45:43
1998 11 Bagnères-de-Luchon 170 HC Marco Pantani Jan Ullrich 43:30*

*The 1998 Tour de France finish was at 1747 m. whereas in later years the finish has been at 1780 m.

[edit] External links

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