Col d'Aubisque

View from the pass to the upper part of the west ramp

K

The Col d' Aubisque is a 1,709 meter high mountain pass in the French Pyrenees. From west to east it connects Laruns in the Vallée d' Ossau with Argelès -Gazost in the valley of the Gave de Pau. On the west ramp are the spa town of Eaux- Bonnes and the ski station Gourette, the eastern ramp leads over another pass, the 1474 m high Col du Soulor. The Col d' Aubisque is one of the most famous climbs of the Tour de France, which already crossed it 71 times.

Route

The steeper western approach overcomes to 16.6 km in length 1,190 meters in altitude, corresponding to an average slope of 7.2%. It starts behind Laruns, where they branched off from the D 934 left. The first four km run with an average of 5 % slope in the spa town of Eaux- Bonnes. There, the coming of Béost Nebenstrecke D 240 meets the D934. Behind Eaux- Bonnes, the road is steep, over several hairpin bends, the 1346 meters, the ski resort Gourette is achieved. The road then changes direction and seeks up to the Hôtel des Crêtes Blanches, which offers a panoramic view of the mountain massif of the Pic de Ger. There remain two kilometers to the pass.

The loud Bergpreis classification somewhat lighter east side ( 1st category ) leads first over the Col du Soulor and includes on the road to the Aubisque a slight slope. Therefore, it has of Argelès -Gazost of over 30 km, only an average gradient of 4.1% at 1247 meters altitude on. The eastern ramp of the 1,474 meter high Col du Soulor, who also can not be driven by a north side has lesser-known, but also in the upper part and a mean slope of about 7%. Behind the Col du Soulor followed by two kilometers of downhill, which can then be more than 300 meters to be overcome on a further eight kilometers of track. The Corniche called road runs mostly on a steep rocky slope along the Cirque du Litor. It is scenically very attractive.

History

The pass road was in 1860 under Napoleon III. as part of the thermal route des Pyrénées, today created route des cols. From 1881 was mined above Gourette iron and silver ore. Of greater importance was the road then with the development of skiing since the 1930s. The Hôtel des Blanches Crètes was built in the 1950s. More recently, the 18.7 km long mountain run from Laruns on the Aubisque.

Tour de France

If the route counterclockwise runs, the Pyrenees therefore need to be addressed before the Alps, the Col d' Aubisque is for the driver's field usually the first mountain of the so-called honor category.

The Col d' Aubisque is since 1910 in the Tour de France program. In that year, the overall winner later Octave Lapize designated on the pass arrived there the present tour organizers as a murderer ( " assassins "). 1951 overthrew the Dutch the yellow jersey, Wim van Est at the departure spectacularly into a ravine and was rescued by his colleagues with the help of bicycle inner tubes tied together. 1995 crossed the peloton to commemorate the beforehand fatally injured Fabio Casartelli closed the pass. The Spaniard Federico Bahamontes succeeded four times, the Aubisque to cross first.

So far found three mountain arrivals held at the Aubisque. In 1971, Bernard Labourdette won the stage from Bagneres- de -Luchon to Gourette, 1985 Stephen Roche won. At the Tour de France 2007, the goal of a stage for the third time on the Col d' Aubisque was; The winner was Michael Rasmussen. By 2011, the Col d' Aubisque was a total of 71 times on the program in the years 1911 to 1958 at each host.

Pass road at the Hôtel des Blanches Crètes

Hôtel des Blanches Crètes in winter

Milestone on the pass

View from the summit of the Pic de Ger

View from the summit to the east

Corniche between Aubisque and Soulor

Corniche, looking towards Aubisque

The Col d' Aubisque in the day of mountain run 2009

Literature and links

• Road Bike Guide: Kristian Bauer: Road Book Tour de France, Bruckmann Verlag 2006, ISBN 978-3-765444-77-7
• History: Peter Leissl, the legendary climbs of the Tour de France, Covadonga Verlag 2004, ISBN 978-3-936973-09-9
• Photo Band: Philippe Bouvet, Philippe Brunel, Serge Laget, Philippe Le Men, Christian Naitslimane: Cols mythiques du Tour de France, L' Équipe 2005, ISBN 978-2-915535-09-9 (French)
• Profile of West ramp
• Profile of the eastern ramp with the Col de Soulor
• The Col d' Aubisque in the Tour de France