This blog has been going since 2008. It is about our cycling holidays business in France and Spain and cycling in general. There is lots of info about climbs and routes in the Pyrenees and about the route and history of Le Tour de France.
Col du Portet At 2215m altitude, this is the highest Tour de France finish in the French Pyrenees. The climb is a spectacular 16km @8.7%. The Col du Portet is located above the village of Saint-Lary Soulan in the Hautes-Pyrénées and during the winter it is at the heart of the resort’s ski area. With an…
Portet-d’Aspet Col de Portet d’Aspet is is a Cat 2 climb in Haute-Garonne. The summit is 1069 metres altitude. It is situated on the D618 road between Aspet, Haute Garonne to the west and Saint-Girons, Ariége in the east. The climb is short but very steep on the western side. It was in the first mountain…
Col du Pourtalet Col du Pourtalet, El Portalet or Portalet d’Aneu is a Cat HC climb to the border between France and Spain in Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The summit is 1794 metres and links the Ossau (France) and Tena (Spain) valleys. The name is tautological as Pourtalet comes from the Gascon language and means the same as the French word…
Col du Portillon Col du Portillon is in Haute Garonne on the border between France and Spain. The summit is 1293 metres altitude. Cat 2 from Bossòst in Spain, the climb is 8.6 km @ 6.8%, with 583 metres gain. The steepest section is at 8.2%, 3 km from the summit. Cat 1 from Bagnères-de-Luchon, the climb is 10.2 km @ 6.5%…
Col de Puymorens Col de Puymorens is a Cat HC climb in Ariége. The summit is at 1915 metres altitude near the border of France, Spain and Andorra. It was first used in Le Tour de France in 1913 and last in 1993. The road to the col is very busy and it has very…
Luz-Ardiden Luz Ardiden is a Cat HC climb to a ski station in Hautes Pyrenees. About 30km south of Lourdes in a valley known as Pays Toy (country of the small people). The climb starts in the spa town of Saint Sauveur at 710m altitude and climbs for 13.1km @ 8% to the summit at…
Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin Col de la Pierre Saint-Martin is a Cat HC climb in Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The col is on the border between France and Spain. It has appeared in one Tour de France in 2007, on a stage that finished at Col d’Aubisque. The 2015 Tour de France will have a stage finish…
Col d’Aubisque The Col d’Aubisque (1,709 m) is in the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Aquitaine region of France. It is approx. 50km south of the city of Pau. Col d’Aubisque photo Gallery. The col is on the northern slopes of the Pic de Ger (2,613m.) and connects the towns of Laruns, in the…
Col du Tourmalet Col du Tourmalet is a Cat HC climb in Hautes Pyrenees. The summit is 2115 meters altitude. The road D918 connects the Vallées des Gaves to the west with Vallée de Campan to the east. It is the most used climb in the Tour de France. 2018 will be the 86th time…
Hautacam Hautacam is a Cat HC climb in the Vallée du Lavedan in Hautes Pyrénées. The climb up Hautacam starts from Argelès-Gazost by the Gave de Pau river near the rugby club, on road D100. The start altitude is 431m. It is 14.5km to the ski station at Hautacam. The road continues for 1.3km to the dead-end…
Col d’Aspin Col d’Aspin is a Cat 1 climb in Hautes Pyrenees. The summit is 1489 metres altitude. It connects Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, in the upper Adour valley to the west, with Arreau, on the River Neste into Aure Valley to the east. Col d’Aspin has a big reputation and is one of the better known climbs…
Plateau de Beille Plateau de Beille is a Cat HC climb to a ski station in Ariége. It is between the towns of Tarascon-sur-Ariége and Ax-les-Thermes, south of road N20. My advice is to not cycle on N20, very dangerous road. Plateau de Beille has been a stage finish 5 times in Le Tour de…
Superbagnères Superbagnères is a Cat HC climb to a ski station in Haute Garonne. The summit is 1804 metres altitude. Cat HC from Bagnères-de-Luchon, the climb to the ski-station is 18.5 km @ 6.3%, with the summit being at 1800 m above sea-level. There are several short sections in excess of 10%.  Tour de france 1961 : Massignan 1962 : (clm/ITT)…
Col du Soulor Col du Soulor is a Cat HC climb near Argeles-Gazost in Hautes Pyrénées. The summit is 1474 metres altitude. A Tour de France classic it is one of the cols of “The Circle of Death” also one of the most beautiful roads in the world. Bucolic and rustic, it sometimes seems that…
Col de Val Louron-Azet Col de Val Louron-Azet is a Cat 1 climb in Hautes pyrénées between Genos and Saint-Lary-Soulan. It is also known as Col d’Azet. The summit is 1580 metres altitude. It connects Saint-Lary-Soulan , in the valley of Aure , to Génos and Loudenvielle in the Louron valley by Road D225. Cat…