Col de la Colombière (French pronunciation: [kɔl la kɔlɔ̃bjɛʁ]) (elevation 1613 m) is a mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Haute-Savoie in France.

Col de la Colombière
Col de la Colombière
Elevation1,613 m (5,292 ft)
Traversed byD4
LocationHaute-Savoie, France
RangeAlps
Coordinates45°59′32″N 06°28′33″E / 45.99222°N 6.47583°E / 45.99222; 6.47583
Col de la Colombière is located in Alps
Col de la Colombière
Col de la Colombière
Location of Col de la Colombière

It connects Cluses in the Arve valley with Le Grand-Bornand in the Bourne valley. The road then leads further to Annecy or over Col des Aravis to the Arly valley and is situated between the Massif des Bornes to the north-west and the Chaîne des Aravis to the south-east.

The pass is not an important traffic route because there are better roads that parallel it, particularly the A40 autoroute.

Details of climb

edit

Although the pass is not very high, it is technically difficult for cyclists.[citation needed]

Starting from Scionzier, the climb is 16.3 km long. Over this distance, the climb is 1108 m (an average percentage of 6.8%). The steepest section is 10.2% near the summit. From Le Grand-Bornand, the Col de la Colombière is 11.7 km long. Over this distance, the climb is 690 m (an average percentage of 5.9%).[citation needed]

On 31 May 2015, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry broke his leg near the start of the climb in Scionzier.[1]

Appearances in Tour de France

edit

The pass was first included in the Tour de France in 1960 and has since featured 23 times, most recently in 2021.[2]

Year Stage Category Start Finish Leader at the summit
2021 8 1 Oyonnax Le Grand-Bornand   Dylan Teuns (BEL)
2018 10 1 Annecy Le Grand-Bornand   Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
2016 20 1 Megève Morzine   Thomas De Gendt (BEL)
2010 9 1 Morzine-Avoriaz Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne   Christophe Moreau (FRA)
2009 17 1 Bourg-Saint-Maurice Le Grand-Bornand   Fränk Schleck (LUX)
2007 7 1 Bourg-en-Bresse Le Grand-Bornand   Linus Gerdemann (GER)
2006 17 1 Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne Morzine   Floyd Landis (USA)[n 1]
2002 17 1 Aime Cluses   Mario Aerts (BEL)
2000 16 1 Courchevel Morzine   Marco Pantani (ITA)
1997 15 1 Courchevel Morzine   Richard Virenque (FRA)
1994 18 1 Moûtiers Cluses   Piotr Ugrumov (LAT)
1991 18 1 Bourg-d'Oisans Morzine   Thierry Claveyrolat (FRA)
1990 10 1 Genève Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc   Thierry Claveyrolat (FRA)
1987 22 1 La Plagne Morzine   Eduardo Chozas (ESP)
1985 12 1 Morzine Lans-en-Vercors   Luis Herrera (COL)
1984 19 1 La Plagne Morzine   Jérôme Simon (FRA)
1983 18 1 Alpe d'Huez Morzine   Jacques Michaud (FRA)
1982 17 1 Alpe d'Huez Morzine   Jean-René Bernaudeau (FRA)
1980 18 1 Morzine Prapoutel Les sept Laux   Ludo Loos (BEL)
1978 17 1 Grenoble Morzine   René Bittinger (FRA)
1975 17 2 Valloire Morzine-Avoriaz   Vicente López Carril (ESP)
1968 19 2 Grenoble Sallanches Cordon   Barry Hoban (GBR)
1960 18 2 Aix-les-bains Thonon-les-Bains   Fernando Manzaneque (ESP)

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Landis was disqualified from the 2006 Tour de France as a result of a urine sample on stage 17 that was positive for banned synthetic testosterone as well as a ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone nearly three times the limit allowed by World Anti-Doping Agency rules.[3]

References

edit
  1. ^ Gordon, Michael R. (31 May 2015). "John Kerry Cuts Europe Trip Short After Breaking Leg in Bicycle Accident". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Le col de la Colombière dans le Tour de France". ledicodutour.com. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Floyd Landis loses CAS appeal". VeloNews. 30 June 2008.
edit