Col du Galibier explained

Col du Galibier
Elevation M:2642
Traversed:D902B
Range:Graian Alps
Location:Savoie/Hautes-Alpes, France
Map:Alps
Label Position:left
Coordinates:45.064°N 6.408°W

The Col du Galibier (el. 2642m (8,668feet))[1] is a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is the eighth highest paved road in the Alps, and recurrently the highest point of the Tour de France.

It connects Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and Briançon via the col du Télégraphe and the Col du Lautaret. The pass is closed during the winter. It is located between the massif d'Arvan-Villards and the massif des Cerces, taking its name from the secondary chain of mountains known as the Galibier.

Before 1976, the tunnel was the only point of passage at the top, at an altitude of 2556 m. The tunnel was closed for restoration until 2002, and a new road was constructed over the summit. The re-opened tunnel is a single lane controlled by traffic lights, which are among the highest such installations in Europe.

History

In 1876 the first passable road was opened between Maurienne and Briançon in the Oisans region. In the north the pass road begins in Valloire, only reachable via the Col du Télégraphe which is before Galibier and connects Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne with Valloire. In the south, the road begins at a level of 2,057 m Col du Lautaret, which connects Grenoble in the west with Briançon in the east. The highest point of this road was at an altitude of 2,658 m, 16 meters higher than nowadays. The road between Col du Lautaret is 24,5 kilometers long, 16 kilometers is the northern part, 8,5 kilometers is the south part. The road over the Galibier was first a natural road, later asphalted.

Construction and opening of tunnel

The area of the summit was a difficult passage, therefore, in 1890, a 363-meter-long tunnel was built, which was opened in 1891. This tunnel is four meters wide, allowing only for the passage of vehicles in one direction at a time.

Details of the climb

From the north, starting at Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne (including the Col du Télégraphe), the climb is 34.8km (21.6miles) long, gaining 2120m (6,960feet) in height (an average of 6.1%). The actual climb to the summit starts at Valloire and is 18.1km (11.2miles) long at an average of 6.9% (height gain: 1245m (4,085feet)). The maximum gradient is 10.1% at the summit.

From the south, the climb starts from the Col du Lautaret (el. 2058m (6,752feet)) and is 8.5km (05.3miles) long at an average gradient of 6.9% (height gain: 585m (1,919feet)) with a maximum of 12.1% at the summit.

On both sides of the Col du Galibier mountain pass cycling milestones are placed every kilometre. They indicate the distance to the summit, the current altitude, and the average slope in the following kilometre.

The Tour de France

The Col du Galibier was first used in the Tour de France in 1911; the first rider over the summit was Emile Georget, who, with Paul Duboc and Gustave Garrigou were the only riders not to walk.[2]

The original summit was at 2556 m.; while the tunnel was closed from 1976 until 2002, the tour route went only over the pass closer to the mountain peak at 2645 m. In 2011, the Tour de France went through the tunnel for the first time during the 19th stage from Modane Valfréjus to L'Alpe d'Huez.

At the south portal of the tunnel, at the edge of the road, there is a monument to Henri Desgrange, instigator and first director of the Tour de France. The memorial was inaugurated when the tour passed on 19 July 1949. Whenever the tour crosses the Col du Galibier, a wreath is laid on the memorial. The Souvenir Henri Desgrange is awarded to the first rider across the summit of the highest mountain in each year's tour. In 2006, the prize of 5,000 euros was claimed on the Col du Galibier by Michael Rasmussen.

Since 1947, the Col de Galibier has been crossed 31 times by the Tour de France. It was scheduled to be used in 1996, but was left out at the last minute due to bad weather. As a result of snow on both the Col de l'Iseran and the Col du Galibier, the scheduled 190 km stage from Val-d'Isère to Sestriere in Italy was reduced to a 46 km sprint from Le-Monetier-les-Bains which was claimed by Bjarne Riis, resulting in him taking the yellow jersey which he retained to the finish in Paris.

In the 2008 Tour, the Col du Galibier had been crossed on 23 July in the 210 km stage 17 from Embrun to Alpe d'Huez.[3]

The 2011 Tour climbed the Col du Galibier twice to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first appearance of the pass in the Tour de France, including the first ever summit finish, won by Andy Schleck after a 60 km solo breakaway. This was the highest ever stage finish in the Tour de France.[4] It was scheduled to be used again in stage 20 of the 2015 Tour, but was left out nine days before the race start due to landslides in the Chambon Tunnel, situated towards the bottom of the descent of the climb. It was also used twice, on stages 11 and 12, of the 2022 Tour.[5]

Appearances in the Tour de France (since 1947)

YearStageCategoryStartFinishLeader at the summit
194781GrenobleBriançonFermo Camellini
1948142BriançonAix-les-BainsLucien Teisseire
1952111Le Bourg-d'OisansSestrièresFausto Coppi
1954191BriançonAix-les-BainsFederico Bahamontes
195581Thonon-les-BainsBriançonCharly Gaul
1957101Thonon-les-BainsBriançonMarcel Janssens
1959182GrenobleSt-Vincent-d'AosteCharly Gaul
196481Thonon-les-BainsBriançonFederico Bahamontes
1966161Le Bourg-d'OisansBriançonJulio Jiménez
1967101Divonne-les-BainsBriançonJulio Jiménez
1969101ChamonixBriançonEddy Merckx
197214a1BriançonValloireJoop Zoetemelk
197381MoûtiersLes OrresLuis Ocaña
1974111Aix-les-BainsSerre-ChevalierVicente Lopez-Carril
197917HCLes MenuiresAlpe d'HuezLucien Van Impe
198017HCSerre-ChevalierMorzineJohan De Muynck
198418HCAlpe d'HuezLa PlagneFrancisco Rodríguez
198618HCBriançonAlpe d'HuezLuis Herrera
198721HCLe Bourg-d'OisansLa PlagnePedro Muñoz
198917HCBriançonAlpe d'HuezGert-Jan Theunisse
199214HCSestrièresAlpe d'HuezFranco Chioccioli
199310HCVillard-de-LansSerre-ChevalierTony Rominger
199815HCGrenobleLes Deux AlpesMarco Pantani
19999HCLe Grand-BornandSestrièresJosé Luis Arrieta
200015HCBriançonCourchevelPascal Hervé
200216HCLes Deux AlpesLa PlagneSantiago Botero
20038HCSallanchesAlpe d'HuezStefano Garzelli
200511HCCourchevelBriançonAlexander Vinokourov
200616HCLe Bourg-d'OisansLa ToussuireMichael Rasmussen
20079HCVal-d'IsèreBriançonMauricio Soler
200817HCEmbrunAlpe d'HuezRémy Di Gregorio
201118HCPineroloCol du GalibierAndy Schleck
201119HCModaneAlpe d'HuezAndy Schleck
201717HCLa MureSerre-ChevalierPrimož Roglič
201918HCEmbrunValloireNairo Quintana
202211HCAlbertvilleCol du GranonWarren Barguil
202212HCBriançonAlpe d'HuezAnthony Perez
20244HCPineroloValloireTadej Pogačar

The Giro d'Italia

The 2013 Giro d'Italia climbed the Col du Galibier, although the stage had to be shortened by 4 km due to heavy snowfall.[6]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Cols du Télégraphe et du Galibier.
  2. Book: Woodland, Les. The Yellow Jersey companion to the Tour de France. . 2003. 151 . 0-224-06318-9.
  3. Web site: Tour de France: Sastre wins on Alpe D'Huez, takes lead. Cycling Weekly. July 23, 2008. May 17, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20201025110620/https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/tour-de-france-2008-sastre-wins-on-alpe-dhuez-takes-lead-94180. October 25, 2020.
  4. Web site: Tour de France organisers unveil 2011 route to suit climbers. 19 October 2010.
  5. Web site: Why the Col du Galibier is such a classic Tour de France climb . Cyclist . 13 July 2022.
  6. Web site: Giovanni Visconti wins Giro d'Italia's Col du Galibier stage. Wynn. Nigel. Cycling Weekly. May 19, 2013. May 17, 2024.