{"id":85338,"date":"2023-10-06T20:14:50","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T18:14:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/?p=85338"},"modified":"2024-08-19T15:57:08","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T13:57:08","slug":"once-upon-a-time-the-tourmalet-pass-a-myth-in-the-pyrenees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/il-etait-une-fois-le-col-du-tourmalet-un-mythe-dans-les-pyrenees\/","title":{"rendered":"Once upon a time: the Col du Tourmalet, a myth in the Pyrenees"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is one of the most emblematic passes of the Tour de France, as well as being considered one of the most difficult passes in the country. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 5 reasons why the Col du Tourmalet is a myth for cycling fans and mountain lovers alike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> What are the 10 best walks in the Pyrenees?<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Its altitude <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Col du Tourmalet is 2,115 metres above sea level, making it one of the highest passes in the Pyrenees. The views from the summit are spectacular. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"grand-tourmalet-02-min\"
The Tourmalet ski area is the largest in the French Pyrenees (Photo \u00a9 Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In winter, with its 70 ski runs at altitudes of between 1400 and 2500 metres, the Grand Tourmalet is the largest ski area in the Pyrenees. There are 100 kilometres of runs from La Mongie to Bar\u00e8ges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Its history <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The pass has been used for centuries by the inhabitants of the region, but its importance as a place of passage became more marked in the 19th century with the construction of a carriage road. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tour de France crossed the pass for the first time in 1910. Since then, it has become an essential part of the race, contributing to its legend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. A profile that appeals to cyclists <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Because of its high altitude, length (around 19km from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan) and steep gradients, the Col du Tourmalet is a feared challenge for professional and amateur cyclists alike. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Tourmalet-Pyr\u00e9n\u00e9es-min\"
The Tour de France passes the Col du Tourmalet almost every year (Photo DR)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

It is generally classified as a first-category climb and offers magnificent panoramic views of the Pyrenees. In summer, everyone wants to try it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Its central place in the Tour de France <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The pass has become a cycling monument thanks to the exploits of legendary Tour de France riders such as Fausto Coppi, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Lance Armstrong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pass is also the venue for numerous celebrations and events when the Tour passes through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Its tourist appeal <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Outside the cycling season, the Col du Tourmalet is a popular spot for hikers, cross-country skiers in winter and nature lovers. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Le-Col-du-Tourmalet-min\"
The Col du Tourmalet and its sumptuous landscapes (Photo \u00a9 Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The panoramic views from the pass are spectacular, and it is surrounded by national parks, picturesque villages and unique flora and fauna.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is one of the most emblematic climbs of the Tour de France, and is also considered one of the most difficult in the country. Here are 5 reasons that make the Col du Tourmalet a myth for cycling enthusiasts and mountain lovers. READ ALSO: What are the 10 most<\/p>","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":85345,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[230],"tags":[281,341],"class_list":["post-85338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-culture","tag-culture","tag-pyrenees"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85338"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85347,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85338\/revisions\/85347"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/petit-montagnard.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}