Col de la Madeleine

Col de la Madeleine
North side of the Col de la Madeleine in January
Elevation	1,993 m (6,539 ft)
Traversed by	D213
Location	Savoie, France
Range	Alps
Coordinates	45°26′05″N 6°22′32″E / 45.43472°N 6.37556°E / 45.43472; 6.37556Coordinates: 45°26′05″N 6°22′32″E / 45.43472°N 6.37556°E / 45.43472; 6.37556
Col de la Madeleine Location of Col de la Madeleine

Col de la Madeleine (el. 1,993 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Savoie in France which connects La Chambre in Maurienne with Aigueblanche and Feissons-sur-Isère in Tarentaise. The pass is closed from November to the beginning of June. It has been described as "beautiful, but heartbreaking".^[1]

Cycling

Details of the climb

Sign at the summit

The southern approach from La Chambre (via the D213) is 19.05 km. long, gaining 1,522 m. at an average gradient of 8%.^[2] Alternatively, the route via the D76 is 19.8 km. long, climbing 1,520 m. at an average of 7.7%.^[3]

The northern approach can be accessed via Feissons-sur-Isère or Aigueblanche. From Feissons-sur-Isère (via La Léchère), the climb is 25.3 km. long, gaining 1,585 m. at an average gradient of 6.2%. For the 2012 Tour de France, the height at the summit is shown as 2,000 m., whereas in previous years it has been shown as 1,993 m.^[4]

From Aigueblanche, the climb is 28.28 km. long, climbing 1,533 m. at an average of 5.4%.^[5]

On both sides of the Col de la Madeleine mountain pass cycling milestones are placed every kilometre. They indicate the height of the summit, the distance to the summit, the current height, and the average slope in the following kilometre. Such signposting for cyclists has become common in most major mountain passes in the French Pyrenees and Alps.

Appearances in Tour de France

The pass was first included in the Tour de France in 1969 and has since featured 24 times,^[4] most recently on Stage 11 of the 2012 race when it was approached from the direction of Feissons-sur-Isère.^[6]

It has been ranked hors catégorie, every year since 1995.

Year	Stage	Category	Start	Finish	Leader at the summit
2013	19	HC	Le Bourg-d'Oisans	Le Grand-Bornand	Pierre Rolland (FRA)
2012	11	HC	Albertville	La Toussuire-Les Sybelles	Peter Velits (SVK)
2010	9	HC	Morzine-Avoriaz	Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne	Anthony Charteau (FRA)
2005	11	HC	Courchevel	Briançon	Santiago Botero (COL)
2004	17	HC	Bourg d'Oisans	Le Grand-Bornand	Gilberto Simoni (ITA)
2002	16	HC	Les Deux Alpes	La Plagne	Michael Boogerd (NED)
2001	10	HC	Aix-les-Bains	Alpe d'Huez	Laurent Roux (FRA)
2000	15	HC	Briançon	Courchevel	Massimiliano Lelli (ITA)
1998	16	HC	Vizille	Albertville	Jan Ullrich (GER)
1997	14	HC	Le Bourg-d'Oisans	Courchevel	Richard Virenque (FRA)
1996	7	HC	Chambéry	Les Arcs	Richard Virenque (FRA)
1995	10	HC	La Plagne	Alpe d'Huez	Richard Virenque (FRA)
1994	17	1	Le Bourg-d'Oisans	Val Thorens	Piotr Ugrumov (LAT)
1990	11	HC	Saint-Gervais	Alpe d'Huez	Thierry Claveyrolat (FRA)
1988	12	1	Morzine	Alpe d'Huez	Henri Abadie (FRA)
1987	21	HC	Le Bourg-d'Oisans	La Plagne	Anselmo Fuerte (ESP)
1984	18	HC	Le Bourg-d'Oisans	La Plagne	Pedro Delgado (ESP)
1983	18	HC	Le Bourg-d'Oisans	Morzine	Lucien Van Impe (BEL)
1981	19	1	Morzine	Alpe d'Huez	Lucien Van Impe (BEL)
1980	17	HC	Serre-Chevalier	Morzine	Mariano Martínez (FRA)
1979	17	HC	Les Menuires	Alpe d'Huez	Lucien Van Impe (BEL)
1977	17	1	Chamonix	Alpe d'Huez	André Chalmel (FRA)
1975	17	1	Valloire	Morzine-Avoriaz	Francisco Galdós (ESP)
1973	8	2	Moûtiers	Les Orres	Jean-Pierre Danguillaume (FRA)
1969	10	2	Chamonix	Briançon	Andrés Gandarias (ESP)