Col du Tourmalet — climbs from Luz and Campan

The Col du Tourmalet is a 2,115-metre mountain pass in the French Pyrenees and the range's most frequently crossed Tour de France climb. It links the valleys of Luz-Saint-Sauveur and Sainte-Marie-de-Campan. Both sides are substantial rides; choose the starting point before comparing quoted distances or gradients.

History

The first time the Tour tried to cross the Tourmalet, in 1910, it was on a dirt cart track. Octave Lapize reached the top, pointed at the organisers, and shouted "Vous êtes des assassins!", "You are assassins!" The quote was probably embellished. The pass has been on the Tour's menu nearly every year since.

Cycling the two sides

The east side from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan is about 17 km at roughly 7.4% average. The climb passes La Mongie before the exposed final approach. The west side from Luz-Saint-Sauveur is about 19 km, also averaging roughly 7.4%. The east side has ramps above 10%, so neither average tells the whole story.

Those are approximate full climbs from the named towns. Routes that start in Bagnères-de-Bigorre or Barèges have different totals. Carry a layer for the descent and check the weather and road status close to departure; the summit sits high above both valleys.

Along the way

• Pic du Midi observatory — A 2,877 m astronomical observatory accessible by cable car from La Mongie, with a viewing platform offering a 300 km panorama of the Pyrenean chain.
• Octave Lapize monument — A sculpture at the summit commemorating the rider who first crested the Tourmalet in the 1910 Tour de France, famously cursing the race organisers as assassins.
• La Mongie ski resort — A ski station on the eastern approach that serves as the last services stop before the summit, busy in winter and a quiet staging point in summer.
• Barèges — A thermal spa town on the western approach, the oldest spa in the Pyrenees and a favourite recovery stop for cyclists descending toward Luz-Saint-Sauveur.
• Col d'Aspin, Col d'Aubisque, Col du Soulor — The three sibling passes on any central-Pyrenees itinerary.
• Pyrenees Grand Tour — The multi-day route that strings them together.

Sources and measurements

The Tourmalet Pic du Midi tourist office gives approximately 17 km from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan and 19 km from Luz-Saint-Sauveur. Its cycling guide lists the summit at 2,115 m and explains how the east-side distance changes when starting in Bagnères-de-Bigorre.