Col de Marie-Blanque (elevation 1,035 m (3,396 ft)) 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.
| Col de Marie-Blanque | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Elevation | 1,035 m (3,396 ft)[1] |
| Traversed by | D294 |
| Location | Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France |
| Range | Pyrenees |
| Coordinates | 43°4′13″N 0°30′27″W / 43.07028°N 0.50750°W |
  Col de Marie-Blanque Location in the Pyrenees | |
Details of the climb edit
The western side of the climb, starts from Escot on the N134. The climb is 9.3 km (5.8 mi) long at an average gradient of 7.7% (height gain – 715 m (2,346 ft)). Although relatively short, there are several long sections with gradients in excess of 11%.[2]
From Louvie-Juzon (east), the climb is 15.0 km (9.3 mi) long. Over this distance, it gains 615 m (2,018 ft) at an average gradient of 4.1%. The climb proper starts at Bielle on the D934 from where it is 11.5 km (7.1 mi) long, gaining 585 m (1,919 ft) at an average gradient of 5.1%, with a maximum of 8.5% near the start. En route, the climb passes the Plateau de Bénou.[3]
Tour de France edit
The pass was first used in the Tour de France in 1978 and has been crossed 15 times by the tour, including on stage 9 of the 2020 tour from Pau to Laruns.[4]
Appearances in Tour de France edit
| Year | Stage | Category | Start | Finish | Leader at the summit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5 | 1 | Pau | Laruns |  Jai Hindley (AUS)
|
| 2020 | 9 | 1 | Pau | Laruns |  Marc Hirschi (SUI)
|
| 2010 | 17 | 1 | Pau | Col du Tourmalet |  Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP)
|
| 2007 | 16 | 1 | Orthez | Gourette–Col d'Aubisque |  Mauricio Soler (COL)
|
| 2006 | 10 | 1 | Cambo-les-Bains | Pau |  Cyril Dessel (FRA)
|
| 2005 | 16 | 1 | Mourenx | Pau |  Jörg Ludewig (DEU)
|
| 2000 | 10 | 1 | Dax | Hautacam | Javier Otxoa (ESP)
|
| 1996 | 17 | 2 | Argelès-Gazost | Pamplona | Neil Stephens (AUS)
|
| 1995 | 16 | 2 | Tarbes | Pau | Stage neutralised |
| 1992 | 2 | 1 | San Sebastián | Pau | Richard Virenque (FRA)
|
| 1990 | 17 | 1 | Lourdes | Pau | Dominique Arnaud (FRA)
|
| 1989 | 9 | 1 | Pau | Cauterets | Robert Forest (FRA)
|
| 1987 | 14 | 1 | Pau | Luz-Ardiden | Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (FRA)
|
| 1987 | 13 | 1 | Bayonne | Pau | Luis Herrera (COL)
|
| 1986 | 12 | 1 | Bayonne | Pau | Pedro Delgado (ESP)
|
| 1978 | 10 | 2 | Biarritz | Pau |  Michel Pollentier (BEL)
|
References edit
- ^ IGN map
- ^ "Col de Marie Blanque: Escot". climbbybike. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
- ^ "Col de Marie Blanque: Luvie Juzon (stet)". climbbybike. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
- ^ a b "Le col de Marie-Blanque dans le Tour de France" (in French). ledicodutour. Retrieved 15 July 2022.