The Tourmalet from both sides
72 km · 2,700 m · Luz-Saint-Sauveur
- Base
- Luz-Saint-Sauveur
- Distance
- 72 km
- Elevation gain
- 2,700 m
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Type
- Out and back
- Highest point
- Col du Tourmalet, 2,115 m
- Season
- June–October
The Tourmalet is the Tour de France's most visited mountain and the symbol of the Pyrenees. From Luz it's 19 km and 1404 metres of climbing, steadily around 7–8 per cent, past Barèges and up through an increasingly bare landscape. The eastern side from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan is 17.2 km and 1268 metres of climbing, and has the steepest sections, especially around the ski resort of La Mongie, where it reaches 10–12 per cent. Doing both sides on the same day is a classic goal for amateur riders. At the top stands the statue Le Géant du Tourmalet and the memorial to Octave Lapize, who was first to the top in 1910.
TipsCafé and restaurant at the top (Bar du Tourmalet), plenty of places to eat in La Mongie and Barèges. Fill up with water in Sainte-Marie before you turn round. The col is normally closed by snow from November until the end of May or early June. It can be closed to cars for the Tour de France and events such as the Étape du Tour. Start early to avoid camper vans and the heat.
Nearby
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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
- 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
- The big Comminges loop: Ares, Balès, Menté and Portet d'Aspet133 km · 3,300 m · Very 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