| Plateau de Beille | |
|---|---|
| Location | Ariège, Midi-Pyrénées, France |
| Skiable area | 70 km |
| Web site | http://www.beille.fr |
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 cross-country skiing.
Contents |
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%.
Plateau de Beille has been the finish for a Tour de France stage five times: 1998, 2002, 2004, 2007, and 2011. On the first four occasions, the stage winner has gone on to win the Tour: Marco Pantani in 1998, Lance Armstrong in 2002 and 2004, and Alberto Contador in 2007. However, the stage winner in 2011, Jelle Vanendert, did not win the Tour. Although the Tour de France itself does not keep precise track of elapsed time on individual climbs, and occasionally changes their official starting and finishing points, professional coaches and media organizations have recorded the following times:
| Year | Stage | Start of stage | Distance (km) | Category of climb | Stage winner | Yellow jersey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 14 | Saint-Gaudens | 168.5 | HC | Jelle Vanendert | Thomas Voeckler | 46:01[1] |
| 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.