| Col du Grand Cucheron | |
| Elevation M: | 1188 |
| Traversed: | D207 |
| Map: | Alps |
| Label: | Col du Grand Cucheron |
| Coords: | 45.49°N 6.2481°W |
| Location: | Savoie, France |
| Range: | Alps |
Col du Grand Cucheron, at an elevation of 1188m (3,898feet), is a mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Savoie in France. The pass crosses the northern end of the Belledonne massif, connecting the Maurienne and Isère valleys. The climb to the col was used on Stage 12 of the 2012 Tour de France.
From Les Granges (near Le Pontet) (west) the ascent is 4.01km (02.49miles) long. Over this distance, the elevation changes by 314m (1,030feet) at an average gradient of 7.8 percent.[1]
From La Corbière (near Saint-Pierre-de-Belleville) (east), the climb is 11.61km (07.21miles) long, gaining 805m (2,641feet) at an average of 6.9 percent.[2] This will be the direction from which the col is climbed in the 2012 Tour de France.[3]
The climb can also be accessed from Aiguebelle (northeast) from where the route is 16.3km (10.1miles) at an average of 5.3 percent, gaining 870m (2,850feet). This route connects with that from La Corbière just after passing through Saint-Georges-des-Hurtières.[4]
The pass was first included in the Tour de France in 1972[5] and has since featured three times, most recently in 1998. It is generally ranked as a Category 2 climb.[6] It was crossed on Stage 12 of the 2012 tour, between Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and Annonay-Davézieux, approaching from the direction of Saint-Pierre-de-Belleville.[7]
| Year | Stage | Category | Start | Finish | Leader at the summit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 12 | 1 | ||||
| 1998 | 16 | 2 | Vizille | Albertville | ||
| 1983 | 17 | 2 | La Tour-du-Pin | L'Alpe d' Huez | ||
| 1972 | 14b | 2 | Valloire | Aix-les-Bains |