Col du Tourmalet: The Tour de France's Oldest Mountain

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The climb at a glance

The Col du Tourmalet sits at the heart of the Pyrenees, linking the Hautes-Pyrénées to the west with the Haute-Garonne to the east. Two paved sides exist. The eastern ascent from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan — the one most often used by the Tour — is the shorter and steeper. The western side from Luz-Saint-Sauveur is longer and more consistent.

Despite its modest altitude by Alpine standards, the Tourmalet's weather is notoriously brutal. Snow has closed the summit in July, and the upper 4 km above La Mongie are frequently wrapped in thick fog.

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Tour de France history

The Tourmalet made its Tour debut on 21 July 1910, on what was then a dirt track through the high Pyrenees. Octave Lapize, Gustave Garrigou and the rest of the field were reduced to walking on the upper slopes. Lapize famously shouted 'Vous êtes des assassins!' at the race officials as he crested — and yet went on to win that year's Tour.

Since 1910 the Tourmalet has been used more than 80 times, more than any other climb in the race. It has hosted summit finishes, been climbed twice in a single stage (in 1974), and been the site of the souvenir Henri Desgrange — a prize awarded to the first rider over the top on stages that mark the col's history.

Eddy Merckx effectively sealed his 1969 Tour victory with a long-range attack across the Tourmalet and the Aubisque. Bernard Hinault took his first Tour stage here in 1978. In 2010, the centenary of the first crossing was marked by a summit finish won by Pierrick Fédrigo after a long breakaway — the planned mountain-top showdown was neutralized by thick fog.

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Iconic moments

1910 is the founding image. Lapize, walking his bike up a gravel road at 2000 m, calling the men who sent him there 'assassins'. The Tour's mythology is built on this single moment.

1969 belongs to Eddy Merckx. Already in yellow by a wide margin, he attacked alone over the Tourmalet on the stage to Mourenx, gaining eight minutes on a field that included the great climbers of the era. It remains one of the most dominant single-day performances in Tour history.

The Géant du Tourmalet — a large metal statue of a cyclist — is installed at the summit each June and removed before winter. Photos of riders beside the Géant are the standard pilgrimage shot of any cyclist who has climbed the col.

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How to ride it

From Sainte-Marie-de-Campan the climb is gentle for the first 8 km through the Payolle forest — rarely above 6%. Use this section to settle into a rhythm; the work above La Mongie is what decides the day.

At La Mongie (km 11), the ski station, the gradient jumps. The final 6 km to the summit average close to 9%, with sections above 10%. The road is wide but exposed, and the surface is rough in places.

Pace the La Mongie section as if it were a separate climb. Many amateurs arrive at the ski station feeling fresh and blow up within two kilometres. Carry a windbreaker — the descent is long and the temperature difference between the summit and the valley can be 15°C.

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When to ride

The road opens from late May or early June once the snow is cleared — a date that varies each year. The full pass is reliably rideable from mid-June to late September. July offers the best weather but also the heaviest traffic. September is the sweet spot: clear skies, cool air, and quieter roads.