Col du Galibier


The Col du Galibier is a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is the eighth highest paved road in the Alps, and recurrently the highest point of the Tour de France.
It connects Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and Briançon via the col du Télégraphe and the Col du Lautaret. The pass is closed during the winter. It is located between the massif d'Arvan-Villards and the massif des Cerces, taking its name from the secondary chain of mountains known as the Galibier.
Before 1976, the tunnel was the only point of passage at the top, at an altitude of 2556 m. The tunnel was closed for restoration until 2002, and a new road was constructed over the summit. The re-opened tunnel is a single lane controlled by traffic lights, which are among the highest such installations in Europe.

History

In 1876 the first passable road was opened between Maurienne and Briançon in the Oisans region. In the north the pass road begins in Valloire, only reachable via the Col du Télégraphe which is before Galibier and connects Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne with Valloire. In the south, the road begins at a level of 2,057 m Col du Lautaret, which connects Grenoble in the west with Briançon in the east. The highest point of this road was at an altitude of 2,658 m, 16 meters higher than nowadays. The road between Col du Lautaret is 24,5 kilometers long, 16 kilometers is the northern part, 8,5 kilometers is the south part. The road over the Galibier was first a natural road, later asphalted.

Construction and opening of crest tunnel 1890/1891

In the area of the summit it was hard to travel. This was the reason why in 1890 a crest tunnel was built, which was opened in 1891. The tube is four meters broad, a single track which can be passed only alternately. The new tunnel is at an altitude of 2556 meters, this is the reason why the highest point is now 102 meters lower. New build tunnel shortens the distance to 23 kilometers. 15 kilometers is the north part, 7,5 Kilometer is the south part and 0,5 kilometers is the crest tunnel.

Details of the climb

From the north, starting at Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, the climb is long, gaining in height. The actual climb to the summit starts at Valloire and is long at an average of 6.9%. The maximum gradient is 10.1% at the summit.
From the south, the climb starts from the Col du Lautaret and is long at an average gradient of 6.9% with a maximum of 12.1% at the summit.
On both sides of the Col du Galibier mountain pass cycling milestones are placed every kilometre. They indicate the distance to the summit, the current altitude, and the average slope in the following kilometre.

The Tour de France

The Col du Galibier was first used in the Tour de France in 1911; the first rider over the summit was Emile Georget, who, with Paul Duboc and Gustave Garrigou were the only riders not to walk.
The original summit was at 2556 m.; while the tunnel was closed from 1976 until 2002, the tour route went only over the pass closer to the mountain peak at 2645 m. In 2011, the Tour de France went through the tunnel for the first time during the 19th stage from Modane Valfréjus to L'Alpe d'Huez.
At the south portal of the tunnel, at the edge of the road, there is a monument to Henri Desgrange, instigator and first director of the Tour de France. The memorial was inaugurated when the tour passed on 19 July 1949. Whenever the tour crosses the Col du Galibier, a wreath is laid on the memorial. The Souvenir Henri Desgrange is awarded to the first rider across the summit of the highest mountain in each year's tour. In 2006, the prize of 5,000 euros was claimed on the Col du Galibier by Michael Rasmussen.
Since 1947, the Col de Galibier has been crossed 31 times by the Tour de France. It was scheduled to be used in 1996, but was left out at the last minute due to bad weather. As a result of snow on both the Col de l'Iseran and the Col du Galibier, the scheduled 190 km stage from Val-d'Isère to Sestriere in Italy was reduced to a 46 km sprint from Le-Monetier-les-Bains which was claimed by Bjarne Riis, resulting in him taking the yellow jersey which he retained to the finish in Paris.
In the 2008 Tour, the Col du Galibier had been crossed on 23 July in the 210 km stage 17 from Embrun to Alpe d'Huez.
The 2011 Tour climbed the Col du Galibier twice to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first appearance of the pass in the Tour de France, including the first ever summit finish, won by Andy Schleck after a 60 km solo breakaway. This was the highest ever stage finish in the Tour de France. It was scheduled to be used again in stage 20 of the 2015 Tour, but was left out nine days before the race start due to landslides in the Chambon Tunnel, situated towards the bottom of the descent of the climb.

Appearances in the Tour de France (since 1947)

YearStageCategoryStartFinishLeader at the summit
194781GrenobleBriançonFermo Camellini
1948142BriançonAix-les-BainsLucien Teisseire
1952111Le Bourg-d'OisansSestrièresFausto Coppi
1954191BriançonAix-les-BainsFederico Bahamontes
195581Thonon-les-BainsBriançonCharly Gaul
1957101Thonon-les-BainsBriançonMarcel Janssens
1959182GrenobleSt-Vincent-d'AosteCharly Gaul
196481Thonon-les-BainsBriançonFederico Bahamontes
1966161Le Bourg-d'OisansBriançonJulio Jiménez
1967101Divonne-les-BainsBriançonJulio Jiménez
1969101ChamonixBriançonEddy Merckx
197214a1BriançonValloireJoop Zoetemelk
197381MoûtiersLes OrresLuis Ocaña
1974111Aix-les-BainsSerre-ChevalierVicente Lopez-Carril
197917HCLes MenuiresAlpe d'HuezLucien Van Impe
198017HCSerre-ChevalierMorzineJohan De Muynck
198418HCAlpe d'HuezLa PlagneFrancisco Rodríguez
198618HCBriançonAlpe d'HuezLuis Herrera
198721HCLe Bourg-d'OisansLa PlagnePedro Muñoz
198917HCBriançonAlpe d'HuezGert-Jan Theunisse
199214HCSestrièresAlpe d'HuezFranco Chioccioli
199310HCVillard-de-LansSerre-ChevalierTony Rominger
199815HCGrenobleLes Deux AlpesMarco Pantani
19999HCLe Grand-BornandSestrièresJosé Luis Arrieta
200015HCBriançonCourchevelPascal Hervé
200216HCLes Deux AlpesLa PlagneSantiago Botero
20038HCSallanchesAlpe d'HuezStefano Garzelli
200511HCCourchevelBriançonAlexander Vinokourov
200616HCLe Bourg-d'OisansLa ToussuireMichael Rasmussen
20079HCVal-d'IsèreBriançonMauricio Soler
200817HCEmbrunAlpe d'HuezRémy Di Gregorio
201118HCPineroloCol du GalibierAndy Schleck
201119HCModaneAlpe d'HuezAndy Schleck
201717HCLa MureSerre-ChevalierPrimož Roglič
201918HCEmbrunValloireNairo Quintana

The Giro d'Italia

The 2013 Giro d'Italia climbed the Col du Galibier, although the stage had to be shortened by 4 km due to heavy snowfall.