Col de Marie-Blanque
Encyclopedia
Col de Marie-Blanque is a mountain pass
in the western Pyrenees
in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
in France
. The pass is situated south-east of Oloron-Sainte-Marie
and connects the valleys of the Aspe
and the Ossau
rivers.
The climb is popular with both amateur and professional cyclists.
on the N134. The climb is 9.3 km long at an average of 7.7% (height gain - 715 m). Although relatively short, there are several long sections with gradients in excess of 11%.
From the east, the climb starts at Bielle
on the D934 and is 11.5 km long gaining 585 m. (an average of 5.1%), with a maximum of 8.5% near the start. En route, the climb passes the Plateau de Bénou.
in 1978
and has been crossed 14 times by the tour, including on stage 17 of the 2010 tour
from Pau to the Col du Tourmalet
.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the western Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a department in the southwest of France which takes its name from the Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.- History :...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The pass is situated south-east of Oloron-Sainte-Marie
Oloron-Sainte-Marie
Oloron-Sainte-Marie is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. The town of Oloron-Sante-Marie is positioned at the junction of two rivers and has a population of approximately 12,000. While not spectacular, it is a pleasant looking town, with an ancient quarter,...
and connects the valleys of the Aspe
Gave d'Aspe
The Gave d'Aspe is the torrential river flowing through the Aspe Valley, one of the three main valleys of the High-Béarn , in the Southwest of France.It is formed in the Aspe Circus, below the Aspe peak ....
and the Ossau
Gave d'Ossau
The Gave d'Ossau is the torrential river flowing through the Ossau Valley, one of the three main valleys of the High-Béarn , in the Southwest of France....
rivers.
The climb is popular with both amateur and professional cyclists.
Details of the climb
The western side of the climb, starts from EscotEscot
Escot is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.-References:*...
on the N134. The climb is 9.3 km long at an average of 7.7% (height gain - 715 m). Although relatively short, there are several long sections with gradients in excess of 11%.
From the east, the climb starts at Bielle
Bielle
Bielle is a commune of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.* Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques departmentBielle is a classic, picturesque farming village located in the floor of a narrow valley with steeply rising mountains as a dramatic backdrop. The buildings...
on the D934 and is 11.5 km long gaining 585 m. (an average of 5.1%), with a maximum of 8.5% near the start. En route, the climb passes the Plateau de Bénou.
Tour de France
The pass was first used in the Tour de FranceTour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
in 1978
1978 Tour de France
The 1978 Tour de France was the 65th Tour de France, taking place June 29 to July 23, 1978. The total race distance was 22 stages over 3908 km, with riders averaging 36.084 km/h...
and has been crossed 14 times by the tour, including on stage 17 of the 2010 tour
2010 Tour de France
The 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996...
from Pau to the Col du Tourmalet
Col du Tourmalet
Col du Tourmalet is the highest road in the central Pyrenees in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées in France. Sainte-Marie-de-Campan is at the foot on the eastern side and the ski station La Mongie two-thirds of the way up. Luz-Saint-Sauveur is at the bottom of the western side.Tourmalet is also a...
.
Appearances in Tour de France
| Year | Stage | Category | Leader at the summit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 Tour de France The 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996... |
17 | 1 | Juan Antonio Flecha Juan Antonio Flecha Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni is an Argentine-born Spanish professional road bicycle racer for the UCI ProTour team .-Career:... |
| 2007 2007 Tour de France The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain... |
16 | 1 | Mauricio Soler Mauricio Soler Juan Mauricio Soler Hernández is a Colombian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . He competed in the Tour de France for the first time in 2007, winning stage 9 having broken away on the Col du Galibier. He won that year's King of the Mountains title. Soler stated the stage win... |
| 2006 2006 Tour de France The 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis.... |
10 | 1 | Cyril Dessel Cyril Dessel Cyril Dessel is a French professional road racing cyclist for on the UCI ProTour. He made his professional debut in 2000.In 2006, he won the Tour Méditerranéen on the UCI Europe Tour... |
| 2005 2005 Tour de France The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was... |
16 | 1 | Jörg Ludewig |
| 2000 2000 Tour de France The 2000 Tour de France was the 87th Tour de France, and took place from July 1 to July 23, 2000. It was won by American cyclist Lance Armstrong. The Tour started with an individual time trial in Futuroscope and ended traditionally in Paris. The distance travelled was 3662.5 km... |
10 | 1 | Javier Otxoa Javier Otxoa Javier Otxoa Palacios is a Spanish cyclist, formerly of the Kelme cycling team. His name is sometimes spelled Javier Ochoa in media reports.... |
| 1996 1996 Tour de France The 1996 Tour de France was the 83rd Tour de France, starting on June 29 and ending on July 21, featuring 19 regular stages, 2 individual time trials, a prologue and a rest day .... |
17 | 2 | Neil Stephens Neil Stephens Neil Stephens is an Australian former road bicycle racer. He is a Tour de France stage winner and is a one of only 25 riders and the only Australian to have completed the three Grand Tours in a calendar year. He was involved in the Festina doping scandal in 1998 Tour de France... |
| 1995 1995 Tour de France The 1995 Tour de France was the 82nd Tour de France, taking place July 1 to July 23, 1995. It was Miguel Indurain's fifth and final victory in the Tour. On the fifteenth stage Italian rider Fabio Casartelli died after an accident on the Col de Portet d'Aspet.... |
16 | 2 | Stage neutralised |
| 1992 1992 Tour de France The 1992 Tour de France was the 79th Tour de France, taking place July 4 to July 26, 1992. The total race distance was 21 stages over 3983 km, with riders averaging 39.504 km/h... |
2 | 1 | Richard Virenque Richard Virenque Richard VirenqueRichard Virenque's name is pronounced Ree-shah Vee-rahnk. Virenque considers himself a man of the South but pronounces his name in standard French. Confusion is caused by the southern habit of pronouncing "en" as "ang" or "eng", making it Vee-rank. But Virenque says Vee-rahnk or... |
| 1990 1990 Tour de France The 1990 Tour de France was the 77th Tour de France, taking place June 30 to July 22, 1990. The total race distance was 21 stages over 3504 km, with riders averaging 38.62 km/h... |
17 | 1 | Dominique Arnaud Dominique Arnaud - External links :... |
| 1989 1989 Tour de France The 1989 Tour de France was the 76th Tour de France, a race of 21 stages and a prologue, over 3285 km in total. In the closest tour in history, Greg LeMond was behind by 50 seconds at the start of the final stage, a time trial into Paris. LeMond rode for an average speed of 54.55 km/h ,... |
9 | 1 | Robert Forest |
| 1987 1987 Tour de France The 1987 Tour de France was the 74th Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 26, 1987. It consisted of 25 stages over 4231 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.645 km/h... |
14 | 1 | Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle is a former French professional road racing cyclist who was a specialist at one-day classic cycling races... |
| 1987 1987 Tour de France The 1987 Tour de France was the 74th Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 26, 1987. It consisted of 25 stages over 4231 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.645 km/h... |
13 | 1 | Luis Herrera Luis Herrera Luis Alberto "Lucho" Herrera Herrera known as "el jardinerito" is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist... |
| 1986 1986 Tour de France The 1986 Tour de France was the 73rd Tour de France, taking place July 4 to July 27, 1986. The total race distance was 4094 km, distributed over 23 stages and a prologue. It was won by Greg LeMond, the first American to win the Tour... |
12 | 1 | Pedro Delgado Pedro Delgado Pedro Delgado Robledo , also known as Perico, is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He won the 1988 Tour de France, as well as the Vuelta a España in 1985 and 1989.... |
| 1978 1978 Tour de France The 1978 Tour de France was the 65th Tour de France, taking place June 29 to July 23, 1978. The total race distance was 22 stages over 3908 km, with riders averaging 36.084 km/h... |
10 | 2 | Michel Pollentier Michel Pollentier Michel Pollentier is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer. He became professional in 1973. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1977 Giro d'Italia.... |
See also
- List of highest paved roads in Europe
- List of mountain passes