Col du Tourmalet

Col du Tourmalet
Col du Tourmalet
Elevation	2,115 metres (6,939 feet)
Location	Hautes-Pyrénées,  France
Range	Pyrenees
Traversed by	D918

Col du Tourmalet (2,115 m/6,939 ft) is the highest road in the central Pyrenees in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées in France. Sainte-Marie-de-Campan is at the foot on the eastern side and the ski station La Mongie two-thirds of the way up. Luz-Saint-Sauveur is at the bottom of the western side.

Tourmalet is also a cheese made from sheep milk produced in these mountains. White-winged snowfinches nest in ski towers near the col.

Details of the climb

The western side, from Luz-Saint-Sauveur, is 19km long, climbing 1,404m at an average of 7.4 per cent with a maximum of 10.2 near the summit. Starting from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, the climb is 17.2km, gaining 1,268m, an average 7.4 with a maximum of 10. Each kilometre is marked by the distance to the summit and the average gradient of the next kilometre.

From the pass itself runs a track leading to the Pic du Midi de Bigorre observatory (2,877m.), .

Tour de France

Jacques Goddet memorial at the top of the Tourmalet

The Col du Tourmalet is one of the most famous of climbs on the Tour de France. It has been included more than any other pass, starting in 1910, when the Pyrenees were introduced. The first rider over was Octave Lapize, who went on to claim the yellow jersey in Paris. In 1913, Eugène Christophe broke his fork on the Tourmalet and repaired it himself at a forge in Sainte-Marie-de-Campan .

Since 1947, the Tour has crossed the summit 47 times, plus a stage finish at the summit in 1974. There have also been three finishes at La Mongie. Since 1980 it has been ranked hors catégorie, or exceptional. The Vuelta a España has also crossed the pass several times.

At the col is a memorial to Jacques Goddet, director of the Tour de France from 1936 to 1987, and a large statue of Octave Lapize gasping for air as he struggles to make the climb.

Octave Lapize memorial at the top of the Tourmalet

Origins in the Tour

The Pyrenees were included in the Tour de France at the insistence of Alphonse Steinès, a colleague of the organiser, Henri Desgrange. He told the story in a book published soon after the event.^[1]

Steinès first agreed that the Tour would pay 2,000 francs to clear the col d'Aubisque, then came back to investigate the Tourmalet. He started at Sainte-Marie-de-Campan with sausage, ham and cheese at the inn opposite the church and arranged to hire a driver called Dupont from Bagnères-de-Bigorre. Dupont and Steinès made it the first 16km, after which their car came to a stop. Dupont and Steinès started to walk but Dupont turned back after 600m, shouting: "The bears come over from Spain when it snows." Steinès set off. He mistook voices in the darkness for thieves. They were youngsters guarding sheep with their dog. Steinès called to one.

"Son, do you know the Tourmalet well? Could you guide me? I'll give you a gold coin. When we get to the other top, I'll give you another one."

The boy joined him but then turned back.

Steinès rested on a rock. He considered sitting it out until dawn, then realised he'd freeze. He slipped on the icy road, then fell into a stream. He climbed back to the road and again fell in the snow. Exhausted and stumbling, he heard another, voice.

"Tell me who goes there or I'll shoot."

"I'm a lost traveller. I've just come across the Tourmalet."

"Oh, it's you, Monsieur Steinès! We were expecting you! We got a phone call at Ste-Marie-de-Campan. Everybody's at Barèges. It's coming on for three o'clock. There are search teams of guides out looking for you."

The organising newspaper, L'Auto, had a correspondent at Barèges, a man called Lanne-Camy. He took him for a bath and provided new clothes.

Steines sent a telegram to Desgrange: "Crossed Tourmalet stop. Very good road stop. Perfectly feasible."

Other events

The Col du Tourmalet features in other bicycle races, including the Vuelta a España when it has made excursions into France. It is also on the route of cyclosportive competitions. Thousands of amateur riders make the climb every year and many take documents to have rubber-stamped in the shop at the summit to show they have made it.

Appearances in Tour de France (since 1947)

Tour de France stage finishes

See also La Mongie

References

External links

• Profile on climbbybike.com
• Le col du Tourmalet dans le Tour de France de 1947 à 2008 (French)
• Complete list of leaders over summit (French)
• Tourmalet website (French)
• Bagneres de Bigorre - La Mongie website (French)
• Tourmalet cheese