Col Agnel

Col Agnel
Elevation 2,744 m (9,003 ft)
Traversed by D205 / SP251
Location Hautes-Alpes, France
Province of Cuneo, Italy
Range Cottian Alps
Coordinates 44°41′2″N 06°58′46″E / 44.68389°N 6.97944°E / 44.68389; 6.97944Coordinates: 44°41′2″N 06°58′46″E / 44.68389°N 6.97944°E / 44.68389; 6.97944
Col Agnel
Location of Col Agnel

Col Agnel (Italian: Colle dell'Agnello) is a mountain pass in the Cottian Alps, west of Monte Viso between France and Italy which links the Queyras valley (Hautes-Alpes) with Pontechianale in the province of Cuneo, Piedmont.

At 2,744 m (9,003 ft), it is the third highest paved road pass of the Alps, after Stelvio Pass and Col de l'Iseran.

Despite being the highest international pass of the Alps,[1] Col Agnel is somewhat unknown and not heavily used. It is one of the many passes suggested as the route taken by Hannibal in his march, with elephants, to attack Rome at the start of the Second Punic War and a modern-era plaque, mounted on a rock on the French side, commemorates the event.[2]

Cycling

From Château-Queyras (France), the climb is 20.5 km long at an average gradient of 6.6%. From Casteldelfino (Italy), the climb is 22.4 km long at an average gradient of 6.5%.

Tour de France

The Col Agnel was crossed for the first time on 20 July 2008 during stage 15 of the 2008 Tour de France. The Col Agnel was crossed for the Second Time on 21 July 2011 during Stage 18 of The 2011 Tour de France.

Year Stage Category Start Finish Leader at the summit
2011 18 Hors Categorie Pinerolo Serre-Chevalier  Maxim Iglinsky (KAZ)
2008 15 Hors Categorie Embrun Prato Nevoso  Egoi Martínez (ESP)

Giro d'Italia

The Col Agnel has been crossed twice during Giro d'Italia.

Year Stage Category Start Finish Leader at the summit
2007 12 1 Scalenghe Briançon  Yoann Le Boulanger (FRA)
2016 19 1 Pinerolo Risoul  Michele Scarponi (ITA)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The Stelvio is higher, and connects regions of three languages, but it has not been an international crossing since the border changes that followed World War I.
  2. ↑ Prevas, John (2001). Hannibal crosses the Alps : the invasion of Italy and the Punic Wars. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. p. 159. ISBN 9780306810701.
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