Col d'Aspin

Col d‘Aspin

View from the col d‘Aspin showing the climb from Arreau.
Elevation 1,489 m (4,885 ft)[1]
Traversed by D918
Location France
Range Pyrenees
Coordinates 42°56′32.3″N 0°19′38.6″E / 42.942306°N 0.327389°E / 42.942306; 0.327389Coordinates: 42°56′32.3″N 0°19′38.6″E / 42.942306°N 0.327389°E / 42.942306; 0.327389
Col d'Aspin

Location of Col d'Aspin

Col d'Aspin (Occitan: Còth d'Aspin) (elevation 1,489 m (4,885 ft)) is a mountain pass in the French Pyrenees in the department of the Hautes-Pyrénées. It connects Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, in the upper Adour valley, with Arreau, on the River Neste.

Details of the climbs

Signpost at the summit providing information about the ascent from Arreau
Signpost at the summit providing information about the ascent from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan

From Sainte-Marie-de-Campan (west), the ascent is 12.8 km (8.0 mi) in length, gaining 642 m (2,106 ft) in height, at an average of 5%. In comparison with its neighbour, the Col du Tourmalet, this is considered an "easy" climb, with only the last five kilometres, at about 8%, being difficult.[2]

From Arreau (east), the climb is more difficult; over 12.0 km (7.5 mi) the climb averages 6.5%, gaining 779 m (2,556 ft) in height.[3]

On both sides of the Col de l'Aspin 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.

Tour de France

The pass has been part of the Tour de France 71 times,[4][5] largely because it is the middle link in a chain of three road climbs, the other links being the Col du Tourmalet (2,115 m (6,939 ft)) and Col de Peyresourde (1,569 m (5,148 ft)). The first time the Col d'Aspin was crossed was in 1910, when the leader over the summit was Octave Lapize.[6]

In the 1950 Tour, there was an altercation at the pass, with bottles and stones being thrown at the riders, and the Italian team with Gino Bartali and Fiorenzo Magni, the leaders at the time, withdrew from the Tour at the end of the stage from Pau to Saint-Gaudens.[7][8]

It was included in Stage 16 of the 2012 tour.[9]

Appearances in Tour de France since 1947

[10]

Year Stage Category Start Finish Leader at the summit
2015 11 1 Pau Cauterets  Dan Martin (IRL)
2012 16 1 Pau Bagnères-de-Luchon  Thomas Voeckler (FRA)
2010 16 1 Bagnères-de-Luchon Pau  Anthony Charteau (FRA)
2009 9 1 Saint-Gaudens Tarbes  Franco Pellizotti (ITA)
2008 9 1 Toulouse Bagnères-de-Bigorre  Sebastian Lang (DEU)
2006 11 1 Tarbes Val d'Aran-Pla-de-Beret  Fabian Wegmann (DEU)
2004 12 1 Castelsarrasin La Mongie  Michael Rasmussen (DEN)
2003 15 1 Bagnères-de-Bigorre Luz-Ardiden  Sylvain Chavanel (FRA)
2001 14 1 Tarbes Luz-Ardiden  Bobby Julich (USA)
1999 16 1 Lannemezan Pau  Mariano Piccoli (ITA)
1998 10 1 Pau Bagnères-de-Luchon  Rodolfo Massi (ITA)
1997 9 2 Pau Loudenvielle  Pascal Hervé (FRA)
1995 15 1 Saint-Girons CauteretsCrêtes du Lys  Richard Virenque (FRA)
1994 12 1 Lourdes Luz-Ardiden  Richard Virenque (FRA)
1991 13 2 Jaca Val-Louron  Claudio Chiappucci (ITA)
1990 16 1 Blagnac Luz-Ardiden  Claudio Chiappucci (ITA)
1989 10 2 Cauterets Superbagnères  Robert Millar (GBR)
1988 15 1 Saint-Girons Luz-Ardiden  Samuel Cabrera (COL)
1986 13 1 Pau Superbagnères  Dominique Arnaud (FRA)
1985 17 2 Toulouse Luz-Ardiden  José Del Ramo (ESP)
1983 10 1 Pau Bagnères-de-Luchon  Patrocinio Jiminez (COL)
1982 13 1 Pau Saint-Lary-SoulanPla d'Adet  Michel Laurent (FRA)
1980 13 1 Pau Bagnères-de-Luchon  Raymond Martin (FRA)
1979 3 1 Bagnères-de-Luchon Pau  René Bittinger (FRA)
1978 11 2 Pau Saint-Lary-SoulanPla d'Adet  Michel Laurent (FRA)
1977 2 2 Auch Pau  Luis Balague (ESP)
1976 15 2 Saint-Lary-Soulan Pau  Gerben Karstens (NED)
1975 11 2 Pau Saint-Lary-SoulanPla d'Adet  Lucien Van Impe (BEL)
1974 17 2 Saint-Lary-Soulan La Mongie  Jean-Pierre Danguillaume (FRA)
1973 14 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Pau  José-Manuel Fuente (ESP)
1972 8 2 Pau Bagnères-de-Luchon  Roger Swerts (BEL)
1971 16A 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Gouretteles-Eaux-Bonnes  Lucien Van Impe (BEL)
1970 18 1 Saint-Gaudens La Mongie  Primo Mori (ITA)
1969 17 2 La Mongie Mourenx  Joaquim Galera (ESP)
1964 16 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Pau  Julio Jiménez (ESP)
1963 11 2 Bagnères-de-Bigorre Bagnères-de-Luchon  Guy Ignolin (FRA)
1962 12 3 Pau Saint-Gaudens  Federico Bahamontes (ESP)
1961 17 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Pau  Marcel Queheille (FRA)
1960 11 2 Pau Bagnères-de-Luchon  Kurt Gimmi (SUI)
1959 11 2 Bagnères-de-Bigorre Saint-Gaudens  Jean Dotto (FRA)
1958 14 2 Pau Bagnères-de-Luchon  Federico Bahamontes (ESP)
1956 12 2 Pau Bagnères-de-Luchon  Nino Defilippis (ITA)
1955 17 2 Toulouse Saint-Gaudens  Charly Gaul (LUX)
1954 12 2 Pau Bagnères-de-Luchon  Louison Bobet (FRA)
1953 11 2 Cauterets Bagnères-de-Luchon  Jean Robic (FRA)
1952 17 2 Toulouse Bagnères-de-Bigorre  Raphaël Géminiani (FRA)
1951 14 2 Tarbes Bagnères-de-Luchon  Fausto Coppi (ITA)
1950 11 2 Pau Saint-Gaudens  Kléber Piot (FRA)
1949 11 2 Pau Bagnères-de-Luchon  Apo Lazarides (FRA)
1948 8 2 Lourdes Toulouse  Jean Robic (FRA)
1947 15 1 Bagnères-de-Luchon Pau  Jean Robic (FRA)

References

  1. IGN map
  2. "Col de l'Aspin: Sainte Marie de Campan". www.climbbybike.com. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  3. "Col de l'Aspin: rreau". www.climbbybike.com. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  4. Mémoire du cyclisme
  5. Le dico du Tour (passages depuis 1947)
  6. Woodland, Les (2003). The Yellow Jersey companion to the Tour de France. Random House. p. 261. ISBN 0-224-06318-9.
  7. Augendre, Jacques (2009). "Guide Historique" (PDF) (in French). Amaury Sport Organisation. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  8. Rendell, Matt (2003). The Official Tour de France Centennial. London: L'Equipe / Weidenfeld & Nicolson. pp. 156 & 160. ISBN 0-297-84358-3.
  9. "Stage 16: Pau –Bagnères-de-Luchon". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  10. "Le col d'Aspin dans le Tour de France depuis 1947" (in French). ledicodutour. Retrieved 17 July 2012.

External links

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