The big Comminges loop: Ares, Balès, Menté and Portet d'Aspet
133 km · 3,300 m · Aspet
- Base
- Aspet
- Distance
- 133 km
- Elevation gain
- 3,300 m
- Difficulty
- Very hard
- Type
- Loop
- Highest point
- Port de Balès, 1,755 m
- Cols
- Col des Ares (797 m), Port de Balès (1,755 m), Col de Menté (1,349 m), Col de Portet d'Aspet (1,069 m)
- Season
- June–October
The big day in the Comminges, based on the tourist office's Cols mythiques haut-garonnais route. The Col des Ares is a gentle warm-up, then comes the Port de Balès from the Mauléon side, the descent to Luchon and the valley down to Saint-Béat, where the Col de Menté starts with 9.7 km at almost 9 per cent. It finishes with the last steep 4.5 kilometres up to the Portet d'Aspet (road signs showing 17 per cent). This is where Fabio Casartelli died in the 1995 Tour de France, and a memorial stone stands by the road. The Menté is also where Luis Ocaña crashed in the yellow jersey in 1971.
TipsLunch in Luchon (after about 70 km), otherwise Mauléon-Barousse and Saint-Béat for water. The Luchon–Cierp-Gaud section can be ridden on back roads via Antignac instead of the N125. Short version (moderate, about 60 km): Saint-Béat–Menté–Portet d'Aspet–Aspet–Col des Ares–Fronsac–Saint-Béat. The Balès and the Menté are closed in winter; the Portet d'Aspet and the Ares are open most of the year.
Nearby
Col de Portet d'AspetThe memorial to Fabio Casartelli- Bagnères-de-LuchonSpa and mountain town, often a TdF finish
Port de BalèsA narrow, wild climb – views towards the Aneto- Bourg-d'OueilVallée d'Oueil, Haute-Garonne
Le MourtisBoutx, Haut-Comminges, Haute-Garonne
SuperbagnèresGondola or bike up from Luchon
Cycling rides
- Gavarnie from Luz-Saint-Sauveur40 km · 700 m · Easy
- Cerdagne loop over the Col de la Perche55 km · 800 m · Easy
- Aubisque and Soulor from Laruns55 km · 1,550 m · Moderate
- Col de Marie-Blanque loop from Arudy60 km · 1,000 m · Moderate
- Col du Pourtalet to Formigal and Sallent82 km · 1,800 m · Moderate
- Port de Larrau and Pierre-Saint-Martin, French–Spanish loop127 km · 3,000 m · Very hard
- The Tourmalet from both sides72 km · 2,700 m · Hard
- Hautacam and Luz Ardiden102 km · 2,550 m · Hard
- Peyresourde and Aspin from Luchon88 km · 2,650 m · Hard
- The Tour's 65-kilometre stage: Luchon–Col de Portet65 km · 3,000 m · Hard
- Port de Balès and Peyresourde from Luchon88 km · 2,300 m · Hard
- Col de Port and Mur de Péguère from Foix74 km · 1,750 m · Hard
- Latrape, Saraillé and Col d'Agnes from Aulus76 km · 1,950 m · Hard
- The Pailhères from both sides and Ax 3 Domaines75 km · 2,850 m · Hard
- Coll d'Ordino and Beixalís from Andorra la Vella62 km · 1,700 m · Moderate
- Port de la Bonaigua from Vielha46 km · 1,150 m · Moderate
- The queen stage Pau–Luchon (the Circle of Death in reverse)197 km · 4,800 m · Very hard