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Col de Portet d'Aspet

Coordinates: 42°56′41″N 0°51′15″E / 42.94472°N 0.85417°E / 42.94472; 0.85417
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Col de Portet d'Aspet
The summit of the Col de Portet d'Aspet
Elevation1,069 m (3,507 ft)[1]
Traversed byD618
LocationHaute-Garonne, France
RangePyrenees
Coordinates42°56′41″N 0°51′15″E / 42.94472°N 0.85417°E / 42.94472; 0.85417
Col de Portet d'Aspet is located in Pyrenees
Col de Portet d'Aspet
Location in the Pyrenees

The Col de Portet d'Aspet (elevation 1,069 metres (3,507 ft)) is a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees in the department of Haute-Garonne in France. It is situated on the D618 road between Aspet and Saint-Girons and connects the Ger and Bouigane valleys, on the slopes of the Pic de Paloumère (1,608 metres (5,276 ft)).

Details of climb

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Starting from Audressein, in Ariège, the climb is 18.1 km (11.2 mi) long. Over this distance, the climb is 557 m (1,827 ft) at an average gradient of 3.1%. The climb proper starts at Saint-Lary, 5.9 km (3.7 mi) and 393 m (1,289 ft) from the summit (at 6.8%), with the steepest sections being at 10.6% near the summit.[2]

Starting from Aspet, in Haute-Garonne, the climb is 14.3 km (8.9 mi) long. Over this distance, the climb is 594 m (1,949 ft) at an average gradient of 4.2%. The climb proper starts at the D618/D44 junction (also the start of the climb to the Col de Menté), 4.4 km (2.7 mi)/436 m (1,430 ft) from the summit (at 9.6%), with several sections in excess of 11%; the maximum gradient is 12.8%, 3 km (2 mi) from the summit.[3]

Panorama from the col de Portet-d'Aspet.

Appearances in Tour de France

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The Col de Portet d'Aspet was first used in the Tour de France in 1910 and has appeared regularly since. The leader over the summit in 1910 was Octave Lapize.[4]

Since 1947, the Col has featured 36 times including on stage 15 of the 2024 race.

Year Stage Category Start Finish Leader at the summit
2024 15 1 Loudenvielle Plateau de Beille  Tobias Johannessen (NOR)
2021 16 2 El Pas de la Casa Saint-Gaudens  Patrick Konrad (AUT)
2018 16 2 Carcassonne Bagnères-de-Luchon  Philippe Gilbert (BEL)
2015 12 2 Lannemezan Plateau de Beille  Georg Preidler (AUT)
2014 16 2 Carcassonne Bagnères-de-Luchon  Thomas Voeckler (FRA)
2013 9 2 Saint-Girons Bagnères-de-Bigorre  Arnold Jeannesson (FRA)
2011 14 2 Saint-Gaudens Plateau de Beille  Mickaël Delage (FRA)
2010 15 2 Pamiers Bagnères-de-Luchon  Thomas Voeckler (FRA)
2007 15 2 Foix Loudenvielle  Laurent Lefèvre (FRA)
2005 15 2 Lézat-sur-Lèze Pla d'Adet  Erik Dekker (NED)
2004 13 2 Lannemezan Plateau de Beille  Sylvain Chavanel (FRA)
2003 14 2 Saint-Girons Loudenvielle  Richard Virenque (FRA)
2002 12 2 Lannemezan Plateau de Beille  Laurent Jalabert (FRA)
2001 13 2 Foix Pla d'Adet  Laurent Roux (FRA)
1998 11 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Plateau de Beille  Alberto Elli (ITA)
1997 10 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Andorre Arcalis  Laurent Brochard (FRA)
1995 15 2 Saint-Girons Cauterets  Richard Virenque (FRA)
1988 15 2 Saint-Girons Luz-Ardiden  Steven Rooks (NED)
1984 11 1 Pau Guzet-Neige  Theo de Rooij (NED)
1973 13 3 Bourg-Madame Bagnères-de-Luchon  Raymond Martin (FRA)
1972 9 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Colomiers  Christian Raymond (FRA)
1971 14 3 Revel Bagnères-de-Luchon  José Manuel Fuente (ESP)
1969 16 3 Castelnaudary Bagnères-de-Luchon  Raymond Delisle (FRA)
1967 16 3 Toulouse Bagnères-de-Luchon  Fernando Manzanèque (ESP)
1966 12 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Revel  Julio Jiménez (ESP)
1965 10 2 Bagnères-de-Bigorre Ax-les-Thermes  Julio Jiménez (ESP)
1964 15 3 Toulouse Bagnères-de-Luchon  Julio Jiménez (ESP)
1963 12 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Toulouse  Federico Bahamontes (ESP)
1962 14 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Carcassonne  Federico Bahamontes (ESP)
1960 12 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Toulouse  Joseph Planckaert (BEL)
1958 15 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Toulouse  Federico Bahamontes (ESP)
1957 17 3 Ax-les-Thermes Saint-Gaudens  Michel Stolker (NED)
1956 13 2 Bagnères-de-Luchon Toulouse  Charly Gaul (LUX)
1951 15 3 Bagnères-de-Luchon Carcassonne  Gino Bartali (ITA)
1947 14 2 Carcassonne Bagnères-de-Luchon  Albert Bourlon (FRA)

In the 1973 tour Raymond Poulidor almost died on the descent from the Portet d'Aspet when he plunged off the road into a ravine, taking a serious blow to the head and crawling out with the help of the race director, Jacques Goddet.[5]

Fabio Casartelli

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The monument to Fabio Casartelli

On 18 July 1995, during the fifteenth stage of the 1995 Tour de France, Fabio Casartelli and a few other riders crashed on the descent of the Col de Portet d'Aspet. Casartelli sustained heavy facial and head injuries and lost consciousness. While being transported via helicopter to a local hospital, he stopped breathing and after numerous resuscitation attempts was declared dead. The Société du Tour de France and the Motorola team placed a memorial stone dedication to Casartelli on the spot where he crashed.[6]

References

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  1. ^ IGN map
  2. ^ "Col de Portet d'Aspet – Audressein". climbbybike. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  3. ^ "Col de Portet d'Aspet – Aspet". climbbybike. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  4. ^ Woodland, Les (2003). The Yellow Jersey companion to the Tour de France. Random House. p. 264. ISBN 0-224-06318-9.
  5. ^ L'Équipe. The Official Tour de France Centennial. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. p. 244. ISBN 1-84188-239-9.
  6. ^ Woodland, Les (2003). The Yellow Jersey companion to the Tour de France. Random House. p. 79. ISBN 0-224-06318-9.

Further reading

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