| Col de Portet d'Aspet | |
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The summit of the Col de Portet d'Aspet |
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| Elevation | 1,069 m (3,507 ft) |
| Traversed by | D618 |
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| Location | Haute-Garonne, France |
| Range | Pyrenees |
The Col de Portet d'Aspet is a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees in the department of Haute-Garonne in France. It is situated on the D618 road between Aspet and St. Girons. At 1,069 metres (3,507 ft), it connects the Ger and Bouigane valleys, on the slopes of the Pic de Paloumère (1608 m).
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Starting from Audressein (Ariège), the climb is 18.14 km long. Over this distance, the climb is 557 m. (an average percentage of 3.1%). The climb proper starts at St. Lary, 5.9 km from the summit (at 6.8%), with the steepest sections being at 10.6% near the summit.
Starting from Aspet (Haute-Garonne), the climb is 14.31 km long. Over this distance, the climb is 594 m. (an average percentage of 4.2%). The climb proper starts at the D618/D44 junction (also the start of the climb to the Col de Menté), 4.4 km from the summit (at 9.6%), with several sections in excess of 11%; the maximum gradient is 12.6%, 3 km from the summit.
The Col de Portet d'Aspet was first used in the Tour de France in 1910 and has appeared regularly since. The leader over the summit in 1910 was Octave Lapize.
Since 1947, the Col has featured 27 times (including on stage 15 of the 2007 tour). The 15th stage was selected for the 2007 L'Étape du Tour, in which amateur and club riders ride over a full stage of the tour.
| Year | Stage | Category | Leader at the summit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 14 | 2 | Mickaël Delage |
| 2010 | 15 | 2 | Thomas Voeckler |
| 2007 | 15 | 2 | Laurent Lefevre |
| 2005 | 15 | 2 | Erik Dekker |
| 2004 | 13 | 2 | Sylvain Chavanel |
| 2003 | 14 | 2 | Richard Virenque |
| 2002 | 12 | 2 | Laurent Jalabert |
| 2001 | 13 | 2 | Laurent Roux |
| 1998 | 11 | 2 | Alberto Elli |
| 1997 | 10 | 2 | Laurent Brochard |
| 1995 | 15 | 2 | Richard Virenque |
| 1988 | 15 | 2 | Steven Rooks |
| 1984 | 11 | 1 | Theo de Rooij |
| 1973 | 13 | 3 | Raymond Martin |
| 1972 | 9 | 2 | Christian Raymond |
| 1971 | 14 | 3 | José-Manuel Fuente |
| 1969 | 16 | 3 | Raymond Delisle |
| 1967 | 16 | 3 | Fernando Manzanèque |
| 1966 | 12 | 2 | Julio Jiménez |
| 1965 | 10 | 2 | Julio Jiménez |
| 1964 | 15 | 3 | Julio Jiménez |
| 1963 | 12 | 2 | Federico Bahamontes |
| 1962 | 14 | 2 | Federico Bahamontes |
| 1960 | 12 | 2 | Joseph Planckaert |
| 1958 | 15 | 2 | Federico Bahamontes |
| 1957 | 17 | 3 | Michel Stolker |
| 1956 | 13 | 2 | Charly Gaul |
| 1951 | 15 | 3 | Gino Bartali |
| 1947 | 14 | 2 | Albert Bourlon |
In the 1973 tour Raymond Poulidor almost lost his life on the descent from the Portet d'Aspet when he plunged off the road into a ravine, taking a serious blow to the head and crawling out with the help of the race director, Jacques Goddet.
On July 18, 1995 during the fifteenth stage of the 1995 Tour de France, Fabio Casartelli and a few other riders crashed on the descent of the Col de Portet d'Aspet. Casartelli sustained heavy facial and head injuries and lost consciousness. While being transported via helicopter to a local hospital, he stopped breathing and after numerous resuscitation attempts was declared dead.
The Société du Tour de France and the Motorola team placed a memorial stone dedication to Fabio Casartelli on the spot where he crashed.