| Mont Revard | |
| Elevation M: | 1562 |
| Range: | Bauges |
| Location: | Savoie, France |
| Map: | France |
| Label Position: | left |
| Coordinates: | 45.6819°N 5.9756°W |
Mont Revard (in French pronounced as /mɔ̃ ʁəvaʁ/,) is a mountain in the Bauges Massif near Aix-les-Bains in Savoie, France with an elevation of 1,562 m (5,125 ft). The mountain is crossed by the D913 road between the villages of Saint-Jean-d'Arvey and Pugny-Chatenod near Aix-les-Bains. The ski resort of Le Revard is situated on the northern edge of the mountain at an elevation of 1537m (5,043feet).[1] The summit on the D913 is at an elevation of 1463m (4,800feet) and was crossed on the penultimate stage of the 2013 Tour de France (Stage 20).[2] [3] The Tour de France has crossed the pass twice previously and has had a stage finish twice on the summit.[4]
Mont Revard features a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb) due to its altitude and far inland position.
Located at the western end of the French Alps, Mont Revard receives a lot of precipitation over the year and significant accumulations of snow - up to 8m (26feet) during the winter of 2012–2013.[5] Summers are quite warm and sunny and thunderstorms are not uncommon. Winters are very cold and snowy.
In 2013, the climb used by the Tour de France commenced at Saint-Jean-d'Arvey and climbs 866m (2,841feet) in 15.9km (09.9miles) at an average gradient of 5.6%, and was ranked a Category 1 climb.[2]
From Aix-les-Bains, the climb to the ski resort at Le Revard via the D913 is 21.4km (13.3miles) long, climbing 1277m (4,190feet) at an average gradient of 6%.[1] From Chambery, the climb via the D912/D913 is 25km (16miles) long with 1267m (4,157feet) height gained at an average of 5.1%.[6]
The limestone plateau is conducive to karst formations. In the Bauges massif, collapse wells and snow pits are called tannes, some of which are connected to underground networks such as the Garde-Cavale network, accessible from the Trou du Garde and the Creux de la Cavale.[7] More than 50 km of this network has been explored. The waters, whose flow varies from 14 to 7,000 litres per second, come out at the Doria cave,[8] which is visible from Chambéry.
The mountain was included in the route of the 1991 Tour de France[4] and again in 1998, however the latter stage was cancelled in the wake of the 1998 Festina affair.[4]
In 1965 and 1972, the ski resort of Le Revard was used as a stage finish, with the finishing line being situated at 1500m (4,900feet). The 1965 stage was a mountain time trial won by Felice Gimondi.[4]
| Year | Stage | Category | Start | Finish | Leader at the summit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 20 | 1 | Annecy | Annecy Semnoz | |
| 1998 | 17 | 1 | Albertville | Aix-les-Bains | Stage neutralized |
| 1991 | 19 | 2 | Morzine | Aix-les-Bains | |
| Year | Stage | Start of stage | Distance (km) | Category | Stage winner | Yellow jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 15 | Aix-les-Bains | 28 | 1 | ||
| 18 | Aix-les-Bains | 26.9 | 1 (ITT) | |||