France Port de Balès
Port de Balès Bike Climb - PJAMM Cycling

7.6
FIETS
12 mi
DISTANCE
3,910 ft
GAINED
6 %
AVG. GRADE
FULL CLIMB STATS
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Page Contributor(s): Carl Hansen, Guernsey, UK

INTRO

“The Tour de France crossed the col for the first time in 2007 on stage 15. This stage was selected for the 2007 L'Étape du Tour, in which amateur and club riders ride over a full stage of the tour.[5] During the 2010 Tour de France it was the scene of arguably one of the defining moments of the race, when Contador (Astana) attacked then race leader Andy Schleck on the climb when the latter had a mechanical problem with his chain. Contador continued his attack, took over the yellow jersey and won 39 seconds, ironically the exact amount of advantage he had in Paris when he won the Tour.” Wikipedia.

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Before heading out on any cycling adventure check out our Things to Bring on a Cycling Trip and use our interactive check list to ensure you don't forget anything.
For those looking to stay in the area we would recommend the Pyrenees Cycling Lodge. Located in the beautiful medieval village of Saint Savin and hosted by Mark & Niamh, the Lodge is run by cyclists for cyclists. It is a great location for any cycling adventure in the Pyrenees with several renowned climbs within 100km of the property and 6 Tour de France climbs within 15km. Visit their website or contact them directly at pyreneescyclinglodge@gmail.com .

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CLIMB SUMMARY

Climb Summary

Photo by Père Igor

This is a very steep mountain pass in the the French Pyrenees near the Spanish border.  Port de Bales first rose to fame with its inclusion in the 2003 Route du Sud (professional road race held in mid-June each year) and then the Tour de France in 2007. Port de Bales has been featured in the TdF 5 times between 2007 and 2017 (most recently 2017 as of this writing in 2017).  The climb has also been included once in the Vuelta a España (Spain’s Grand Tour; 2013).   Wikipedia notes:

“The Tour de France crossed the col for the first time in 2007 on stage 15. This stage was selected for the 2007 L'Étape du Tour, in which amateur and club riders ride over a full stage of the tour.[5] During the 2010 Tour de France it was the scene of arguably one of the defining moments of the race, when Contador (Astana) attacked then race leader Andy Schleck on the climb when the latter had a mechanical problem with his chain. Contador continued his attack, took over the yellow jersey and won 39 seconds, ironically the exact amount of advantage he had in Paris when he won the Tour.” Wikipedia

Gradient Chart - Mauléon-Barousse

 

Steepest kilometer starts at km 15.5 (12.2%)

Gradient Chart - Saint-Aventin

 

Steepest kilometer starts at beginning of climb (11.5%)