Col du Galibier

The last two kilometers from north

Slope the north side of the Col du Telegraph

The Col du Galibier (French for " Pass of the Galibier " ) is a mountain pass in the French part of the Alps. Spanning the Col -pass road was built in 1876 and is at an altitude of 2645 m ( according to other data, only 2642 m) with Stand autumn 2007, the fifth- highest paved mountain pass in the Alps. The leading over the pass Territory road D 902 connects the two departments of Savoie and Hautes-Alpes in the north to the south, the border is on the pass. Simultaneously, the Galibier separates hence the Rhône-Alpes region in the north of the region Provence- Alpes -Cote d' Azur in the south.

• 3.1 The Col du Galibier and the Tour de France
• 3.2 Giro d'Italia
• 3.3 The monument to Henri Desgranges

History

Opening of the pass road 1876

After the widening of the last curves of the old mule track over the Col du Galibier, the first motorable mountain pass between the Maurienne and Briançon or the Oisans was opened in 1876. In the north of the pass road starts in the ski resort of Valloire, this place is only accessible via the Col du Telegraph, which is upstream of the Galibier and Saint -Michel- de -Maurienne with links Valloire. In the south, the road starts up at the Galibier only on the 2057 m high Col du Lautaret, Grenoble connects to the west with the east Briançon. The culmination of this first -pass road over the Galibier at the time was higher than the present-day pass at an altitude of 2658 m and thus of 13 meters. The entire mountain pass between Valloire and the Col du Lautaret is 24.5 km long, of which 16 km to the north ramp and 8.5 km to the south ramp. The road over the Galibier was initially designed as a dirt road and paved only in recent times.

Construction and commissioning of the summit tunnel 1890/1891

Since the passage of the Galibier even after the construction of the driveway - especially in the steep summit area - was very difficult, in 1890 started to build a 363 -meter-long summit tunnel, which was opened in 1891. The only four meters wide tube is single track and can therefore only be alternately ridden in one direction. The new tunnel crosses the mountain range at an altitude of 2556 m, which is also the culmination of the Galibier pass road over the old pass fell by 102 meters. Through the newly built tunnel, also the entire pass route shortened by 1.5 to henceforth 23 km length. Of which now accounted for 15 km to the north ramp, 7.5 km to the south ramp and just under half a kilometer on the ground floor running summit tunnel.

Reactivation of the summit section in 1976

Because of the built 1890/1891 summit tunnel had fallen into disrepair over the years, it was decided to bypass this and reactivated to the used ones in the years 1876 to 1890 elevation route through the actual pass. This route was expanded generously since 1976 and connects the two portals of the Galibier tunnel above ground with each other. The pass was demolished in part, to create a platform for a small car park. Therefore, the culmination of the Galibier mountain pass since then situated at an altitude of 2645 m, an increase of 13 meters lower than the historical pass and only 89 meters higher than the previously used tunnel. The old summit tunnel was shut down after the completion of the new route for safety reasons. The pass road has since returned to their original length of 24.5 kilometers.

Reopening of the tunnel in 2002

In 2002, the Galibier tunnel was reopened surprising after extensive renovations since then to the circulation over the Galibier in the summit area, two alternative routes are available. For cyclists, the passage is, however, prohibited by the tunnel since the reopening, pedestrians must not make this. The light which the alternating one-way traffic through the tube as well as the confluence of the new controls on both sides of the Galibier tunnel in the old track, with its location on 2556 m altitude, the highest light system in Europe. The entire route Valloire- pass Col du Lautaret is closed to vehicles that are heavier than 19 tons or higher than 4.10 meters. In addition for the above ground elevation route applies a maximum gross weight of 3.5 tons, heavier vehicles have to use the tunnel.

The mountains around the Col du Galibier

From the Col du Galibier or located close to the pass small hill with stone orientation offers a stunning panorama. To the north, the view to the highest mountain in the Alps, Mont Blanc. During the Mont Blanc already extends far into the sky, the Dauphiné Alps are in the south of the pass of the highest and most famous mountain, the viewer grasp opposite: the Barre des Ecrins and the Meije rise here in all its glory from the wild, torn glaciers and a vast sea of ​​peaks.

Cycling

The Col du Galibier and the Tour de France

The Col du Galibier is considered together with the adjacent L' Alpe d' Huez, Mont Ventoux in Provence and the Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees as one of the most famous climbs of the Tour de France.

The high alpine Galibier was first included in the Tour de France in 1911 and thus already in the total ninth edition of the famous bicycle race in the program. In that year, led the fifth stage of 366 kilometers from Chamonix to Grenoble. First on the Col du Galibier was Frenchman Émile Georget, who also won this stage later. The Galibier was the first Alpine pass in the history of the famous cycling race, before 1911 larger increases were only in the Vosges ( Ballon d'Alsace, initial Befahrung in the Tour de France 1905) and the Pyrenees ( Col du Tourmalet, initial Befahrung in Tour de France 1910) completed.

Since that Tour de France 1911, the Galibier is almost every year in the Tour de France program, most recently at the 19th stage in 2011. Usually this the Col du Galibier is also the highest point of the course. As part of the mountains classification in the Tour de France, the Galibier is always classified as Pass Hors Catégorie, regardless of which side he is busy.

At the Tour de France 2011 for the centenary of the Galibier was defeated twice, this is a mountain-top finish was on the 18th stage.

This tradition gave the Galibier a great popularity in cycling circles and entices every year thousands of recreational riders to navigate the pass even by bicycle.

Giro d' Italia

2013 was the first time in the history of the Giro d' Italia the Galibier in the Tour of Italy program. The 15th stage ended on the Galibier. Due to bad weather the short-term goal had to be laid at an altitude of 2301 meters from the passport road to the monument to Marco Pantani at Les Granges du Galibier. The shortened to 4.2 km stage won by Italian Giovanni Visconti. The Galibier was traveled from the north and is classified as an increase in the first category in the mountain stage of the Giro.

The monument to Henri Desgranges

At the south portal of the tunnel crown was for Henri Desgrange (1865-1940), the founder of the Tour de France, erected a memorial stone in the form of a stone stele. In his honor is in addition at each Tour de France mountain stage to normal, once held the Souvenir Henri Desgrange. In this special scoring one driver who first reaches the highest point approached the Tour de France gets a special bonus of 5000 €. In general, the Col du Galibier is itself the highest point of the tour and thus venue for this special classification. Does the course in one year, exceptionally, via one of the three still higher passes Col de la Bonette, Col Agnel and the Col de l' Iseran, the Souvenir Henri Desgrange is extended according to one of these passports.

Henri Desgrange in 1892