| Col du Petit Ballon | |
| Elevation M: | 1163 |
| Elevation Ref: | [1] |
| Traversed: | Unnamed road |
| Map: | France |
| Label: | Col du Petit Ballon |
| Coords: | 47.985°N 7.1211°W |
| Location: | Haut-Rhin, France |
| Range: | Vosges Mountains |
The Col du Petit Ballon (elevation 1163m (3,816feet)) is a mountain pass in the Vosges Mountains in the Haut-Rhin department of France, close to the summit of the Petit Ballon mountain (1272m (4,173feet)).
It was crossed on Stage 10 of the 2014 Tour de France cycle race.[2]
From the north, the climb starts in Munster from where the climb is 11.6km (07.2miles) long, gaining 773m (2,536feet) in altitude, at an average gradient of 6.7%.[3] The climb proper starts at Luttenbach-près-Munster, where it leaves the D10. From here, the climb is 9.3km (05.8miles) long, at an average gradient of 8.1%.[2]
From the north-west, the climb starts at Metzeral, passing through the village of Sondernach, where the route leaves the D10. The total distance is 12.8km (08miles), gaining 678m (2,224feet) in altitude, at an average gradient of 5.3%.[4]
It is also possible to access the col via the D43 from Wihr-au-Val to the north-east from where the climb is 16km (10miles) long, gaining 1163m (3,816feet) in altitude, at an average gradient of 5.3%.[5]
The col was used for the first time on Stage 10 of the 2014 Tour de France, when the leader over the summit was the Spanish rider, Joaquim Rodríguez.[6] The col was used again on Stage 20 of the 2023 Tour de France. The leader over the summit was the French rider Thibaut Pinot. During that stage, the top of the climb became known as the "virage pinot" (Pinot's corner). Pinot's fans gathered at the summit to cheer the rider during the last Tour de France mountain stage of his career.[7]
| Year | Stage | Category | Start | Finish | Leader at the summit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 10 | 1 | Mulhouse | La Planche Des Belles Filles | ||
| 2023 | 20 | 1 | Belfort | Le Markstein Fellering |
The col was used on Stage 7 of the 2022 Tour de France Femmes, with Demi Vollering first over the summit.[8]