Col de Marie-Blanque: Difference between revisions

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.

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]

The pass was first used in the Tour de France in 1978 and has been crossed 14 times by the tour, including on stage 17 of the 2010 tour from Pau to the Col du Tourmalet.^[4]

^[4]

Year	Stage	Category	Start	Finish	Leader at the summit
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)

• Preview Stage 17 2010 Tour de France with Cycling Profile for Marie-Blanque
• Profiles and Tour de France appearances
• Col de Marie-Blanque on Google Maps (Tour de France classic climbs)