LSS - Tourmalet (LSS) - Hourquette d'Ancizan (C) - Col d'Aspin (A) - Tourmalet (SMdC) - LSS

 

🚵‍♂️ Tourmalet Titanen – Een legendarische lus door het hart van de Pyreneeën (± 93 km / +3.140 m)
Een majestueuze racefietsroute over drie mythische cols – met de Col du Tourmalet als keizer van het klimmen.

 

📌 Start & finish: Luz-Saint-Sauveur (714 m)

📏 Afstand: ± 93 km
⛰️ Hoogtemeters: +3.140 m
🚦 Moeilijkheid: 🟥 Zeer zwaar
🚴‍♂️ Fietstype: Racefiets (aanbevolen: compact verzet 34x28 of lichter)
💧 Let op: Weinig bevoorrading onderweg – neem voldoende water en energie mee.
⏱️ Duur: 5 – 7 uur (afhankelijk van conditie en stops)

 

🔁 Route-overzicht

Een koninklijke ronde door het hart van de Hautes-Pyrénées, waar Tourgeschiedenis op elke haarspeld ligt. Deze route leidt je over drie beklimmingen van naam en faam: de Hourquette d’Ancizan, de Col d’Aspin en het absolute monument – de Col du Tourmalet.

 

⛰️ 1. Col du Tourmalet

🎖️ De koning van de Pyreneeën – Hors Catégorie (HC)

🔺 Zuidzijde: Luz-Saint-Sauveur ➝ Tourmalet

📏 Lengte: 18,4 km
📈 Gem. stijging: 7,6%
🔝 Max. stijging: 10,2%
📊 Hoogtemeters: 1.385 m
📍 Start: 730 m | 🏁 Top: 2.115 m

📝 Karakter: Episch, historisch & onverbiddelijk.
Via de “Voie Laurent Fignon” klim je in een ritmische cadans langs weilanden, tunnels en steile haarspeldbochten naar de hoogste geasfalteerde pas van de Franse Pyreneeën.

💬 “Vous êtes des criminels !” — schreeuwde Octave Lapize in 1910, als eerste renner ooit op deze top.

⛰️ 2. Hourquette d’Ancizan (vanaf Campan)

📏 Lengte: 16,8 km
📈 Gem. stijging: 5%
🔝 Max. stijging: 8,4%
📊 Hoogtemeters: 764 m
🧭 Categorie: 🟧 Cat. 1
📍 Start: Campan (852 m) | 🏁 Top: 1.564 m

📝 Karakter: Rustig, groen & schilderachtig.
Een prachtige, vaak vergeten klim door een smal dal met spectaculaire uitzichten en grazende runderen. Halverwege passeer je Lac de Payolle en een oude marmergroeve waarvan steen werd gebruikt in het Paleis van Versailles. Het wegdek is goed, het verkeer minimaal – puur fietsgenot.

⛰️ 3. Col d’Aspin (vanaf Arreau)

📏 Lengte: 11,6 km
📈 Gem. stijging: 6,5%
🔝 Max. stijging: 8,8%
📊 Hoogtemeters: 749 m
🧭 Categorie: 🟧 Cat. 1
📍 Start: Arreau (740 m) | 🏁 Top: 1.489 m

📝 Karakter: Klassiek & constant.
Een klim die soepel begint maar naar het einde toe bijt. Je slingert langs beboste hellingen en open alpenweiden – op de top wacht een fantastisch zicht op de komende reus: de Tourmalet.

📜 Tourgeschiedenis: Sinds 1910 een vaste waarde in de Tour de France, o.a. in 2001, 2003 en 2018.

⛰️ 4. Col du Tourmalet

🎖️ De koning van de Pyreneeën – Hors Catégorie (HC)

🔺 Oostzijde: Campan ➝ Tourmalet

📏 Lengte: 16,9 km
📈 Gem. stijging: 7,4%
🔝 Max. stijging: 9,5%
📊 Hoogtemeters: 1.242 m
📍 Start: 873 m | 🏁 Top: 2.115 m

📝 Karakter: Iets korter, even zwaar.
Het asfalt slingert je via La Mongie omhoog. In 1913 brak Eugène Christophe hier zijn voorvork – en repareerde die zelf in een smidse. Sinds 1980 is deze kant standaard HC.

📜 Tourgeschiedenis: Bezocht in maar liefst 87 Tour-edities tot 2019. Eén van de meest iconische cols aller tijden.

 

🌟 Hoogtepunten van deze route

🏔️ Col du Tourmalet – Meest beklommen klim in de Tour de France, tot 2.115 m
🌄 Panorama’s – Indrukwekkend uitzicht op de Pyreneeën vanaf elke col
🛣️ Hourquette d’Ancizan – Rust en natuur, weg van het massatoerisme
⚙️ Tourgeschiedenis – Fiets waar Lapize, Merckx en Contador streden
🐄 Lac de Payolle – Prachtige stopplek tussen koeien en bossen

 

🎯 Besluit

Deze route is niet voor de twijfelaars. Dit is klimmen in z’n puurste vorm – zonder poespas, zonder schaduw. Je rijdt door de ziel van de Pyreneeën, op het ritme van pedalen en polsslagen.

 

🚴‍♂️ Wil je voelen wat wielerhelden voelen? Wil je grenzen verleggen en legendarische asfaltwegen temmen?

Dan is dit jouw rit.

 

 

COL DU TOURMALET

Luz Saint Sauveur, France

The Col du Tourmalet is a col with a length of 18.4 kilometer. This is a highest category (HC) col. It is located in Luz Saint Sauveur, Midi-Pyrénées, France. The average grade of this col is 7.6% with a maximum of 10.2%. The Col du Tourmalet ascents from 730 meter at the start, to 2.115 meter at the top, with a total of 1.385 ascending meters.

FACTS

Distance: 18.4 km

Elevation gain: 1385 m

Average grade: 7.6 %

Maximum grade: 10.2 %

Climb category: HC

Minimum elevation: 730 m

Maximum elevation: 2115 m

DESCRIPTION

La voie Laurent Fignon version of the climb.

Some Frenchmen believe that Tourmalet translates into "bad trip" or "bad detour" because in French Tour translates into "trip" and mal translates into "bad"; however, the correct language to translate from is Gascon, not French, because of the mountain's location in the Gascony-region and the "du" in the name, which is the Gascon pendant to the French "de". Then Tour becomes "distance", which is spelled "tur" but pronounced "tour", mal is translated into "mountain", and it becomes "the". The translation from Gascon to English then becomes "The Distance Mountain".

The Col du Tourmalet is one of the most famous climbs on the Tour de France. It has been included more than any other pass, starting in 1910, when the Pyrenees were introduced. The first rider over was Octave Lapize, who went on to win the general classification in Paris. In 1913, Eugène Christophe broke his fork on the Tourmalet and repaired it himself at a forge in Sainte-Marie-de-Campan.

Up to 2019, the Tour has visited the Col du Tourmalet a total of 87 times. The total includes three stage finishes at the summit and three at La Mongie. Since 1980 it has been ranked hors catégorie, or exceptional. The Vuelta a España has also crossed the pass several times.

This is the old route of the climb used until 2011. Now it is a route dedicated to cyclists in homage to the winner of the Tour de France and Haut-Pyrénéen by adoption who died in August 2010.


- Tour de France 1913
- Tour de France 1914
- Tour de France 1919
- Tour de France 1920
- Tour de France 1921
- Tour de France 1923
- Tour de France 1924
- Tour de France 1925
- Tour de France 1926
- Tour de France 1927
- Tour de France 1928
- Tour de France 1929
- Tour de France 1930
- Tour de France 1931
- Tour de France 1932
- Tour de France 1938
- Tour de France 1939
- Tour de France 1948
- Tour de France 1949
- Tour de France 1950
- Tour de France 1951
- Tour de France 1953
- Tour de France 1954
- Tour de France 1959
- Tour de France 1960
- Tour de France 1962
- Tour de France 1963
- Tour de France 1965 - Stage 9
- Tour de France 1968
- Tour de France 1972
- Tour de France 1974
- Tour de France 1975
- Tour de France 1978
- Tour de France 1980
- Tour de France 1983
- Tour de France 1986
- Tour de France 1997
- Tour de France 1998
- Tour de France 2006
- Tour de France 2010

 

HOURQUETTE D' ANCIZAN

Campan, France

The Hourquette d' Ancizan is a col with a length of 16.8 kilometer. This is a category 1 col. It is located in Campan, Occitanie, France. The average grade of this col is 5% with a maximum of 8.4%. The Hourquette d' Ancizan ascents from 852 meter at the start, to 1.564 meter at the top, with a total of 764 ascending meters.

FACTS

Distance: 16.8 km

Elevation gain: 764 m

Average grade: 5 %

Maximum grade: 8.4 %

Climb category: 1

Minimum elevation: 852 m

Maximum elevation: 1564 m

DESCRIPTION

Near Lake Payolle, halfway up the climb, there is a marble quarry. Marble from this quarry was used in Versaille.

- Tour de France 2016 - Stage 8

 

COL D' ASPIN

Arreau, France

The Col d' Aspin is a col with a length of 11.6 kilometer. This is a category 1 col. It is located in Arreau, Midi-Pyrénées, France. The average grade of this col is 6.5% with a maximum of 8.8%. The Col d' Aspin ascents from 740 meter at the start, to 1.489 meter at the top, with a total of 749 ascending meters.

FACTS

Distance: 11.6 km

Elevation gain: 749 m

Average grade: 6.5 %

Maximum grade: 8.8 %

Climb category: 1

Minimum elevation: 740 m

Maximum elevation: 1489 m

DESCRIPTION

- Tour de France 1910 - Stage 10
- Tour de France 2001 - Stage 14
- Tour de France 2003 - Stage 15
- Tour de France 2018 - Stage 19

 

COL DU TOURMALET

Campan, France

The Col du Tourmalet is a col with a length of 16.9 kilometer. This is a highest category (HC) col. It is located in Campan, Midi-Pyrénées, France. The average grade of this col is 7.4% with a maximum of 9.5%. The Col du Tourmalet ascents from 873 meter at the start, to 2.115 meter at the top, with a total of 1.242 ascending meters.

FACTS

Distance: 16.9 km

Elevation gain: 1242 m

Average grade: 7.4 %

Maximum grade: 9.5 %

Climb category: HC

Minimum elevation: 873 m

Maximum elevation: 2115 m

DESCRIPTION

Some Frenchmen believe that Tourmalet translates into "bad trip" or "bad detour" because in French Tour translates into "trip" and mal translates into "bad"; however, the correct language to translate from is Gascon, not French, because of the mountain's location in the Gascony-region and the "du" in the name, which is the Gascon pendant to the French "de". Then Tour becomes "distance", which is spelled "tur" but pronounced "tour", mal is translated into "mountain", and it becomes "the". The translation from Gascon to English then becomes "The Distance Mountain".

The Col du Tourmalet is one of the most famous climbs on the Tour de France. It has been included more than any other pass, starting in 1910, when the Pyrenees were introduced. The first rider over was Octave Lapize, who went on to win the general classification in Paris. In 1913, Eugène Christophe broke his fork on the Tourmalet and repaired it himself at a forge in Sainte-Marie-de-Campan.

Up to 2019, the Tour has visited the Col du Tourmalet a total of 87 times. The total includes three stage finishes at the summit and three at La Mongie. Since 1980 it has been ranked hors catégorie, or exceptional. The Vuelta a España has also crossed the pass several times.

- Tour de France 1910 - Stage 10
- Tour de France 2001 - Stage 14
- Tour de France 2002 - Stage 11 (La Mongie - finish)
- Tour de France 2003 - Stage 15
- Tour de France 2011 - Stage 12
- Tour de France 2018 - Stage 19