Pra Loup
Pra Loup, is a ski resort in France, at Uvernet-Fours in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, 7 km (4 mi) from the town of Barcelonnette.
The ski station has two separate base areas, 2 km apart:
- Pra Loup 1600 - primary base area at 1,600 m (5,249 ft) above sea level
- Pra Loup 1500 - (Les Molanès)
The lift-served summit elevation is 2,500 m (8,202 ft), for a vertical drop of 900 m (2,953 ft) to Pra Loup 1600.
The resort has 53 lifts, 165 km (103 mi) of tracks, and its ski area is linked to that of the Foux-d'Allos through the valley of Agneliers. Pra Loup hosted the Junior World Championships for alpine skiing in 1999.
Tour de France
Pra Loup was used as the finish of stage 15 in the 1975 Tour de France. The 217 km (135 mi) race from Nice was win by Bernard Thévenet of France, and is regarded in cycling lore as the mountain climb where the career of Eddy Merckx faltered.[1](See Eddy Merckx - 1975 Tour de France, Pierre Chany). The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known."[2] The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all time.[3] The climb is cemented into the history of French cycling by the image of a woman at the roadside, wearing a bikini, waving a sign that said: "Merckx is beaten. The Bastille has fallen."[4]
- Elevation - 1,630 m (5,348 ft)
- Departure: Barcelonnette - 1,130 m (3,707 ft)
- Vertical rise: 500 m (1,640 ft)
- Length: 9.4 km (5.8 mi)
- Slope: 5.3% of average (maximum 10.1%)
References
- ^ Bicycling, Great moments of the Tour de France
- ^ Vélo, France, November 2000
- ^ Velonews.com (2005-06-17). "Happy Birthday, Eddy!". Retrieved 2008-06-13.
- ^ Cycle Sport, UK, May 2000
External links
- Official website - Pra Loup ski resort - (English)
- Ski Map.org - Pra Loup - 2008
