Cormet de Roselend


Cormet de Roselend is a high mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Savoie in France.
It connects Beaufort in the Beaufortain valley and Bourg-Saint-Maurice in the Tarentaise Valley. On the west side of the pass lies the Lac de Roselend, a reservoir that can be reached by the Col de Méraillet or the Col du Pré.

Details of climb

On the north-western side, starting from Beaufort, the climb is 20.3 km long. Over this distance, the climb is 1227 m., with the steepest sections at 10.0%.
From Bourg-Saint-Maurice to the south-east, the Cormet de Roselend is 19.35 km long. Over this distance, the climb is 1154 m., with the steepest sections at 8.9%.

Appearances in Tour de France

The pass was first included in the Tour de France in 1979 and has since featured 9 times, most recently in stage 11 of the 2018 Tour de France.
YearStageCategoryStartFinishLeader at the summit
2018112AlbertvilleLa RosièreWarren Barguil
2009171Bourg-Saint-MauriceLe Grand-BornandFranco Pellizotti
200781Le Grand-BornandTignesMichael Rasmussen
2005101GrenobleCourchevelAlejandro Valverde
2002171AimeClusesMario Aerts
199671ChambéryLes ArcsUdo Bölts
199591Le Grand-BornandLa PlagneAlex Zülle
1992131Saint-Gervais–Mont BlancSestrièresClaudio Chiappucci
1987221La PlagneMorzineMathieu Hermans
1984191La PlagneMorzineFrancis Castaing
1979161MorzineLes MenuiresHenk Lubberding

One of the most memorable years for the Cormet de Roselend was the 1996 Tour de France. It was just before the summit on the Cormet de Roselend that Frenchman Stéphane Heulot cracked, lost the Maillot Jaune and bowed out of the race.. It was also on the Cormet de Roselend that Johan Bruyneel overshot a fast left-hand bend and disappeared over the edge, as he descended towards Bourg-St-Maurice. Spectators feared the worst but thankfully Bruyneel managed to climb back up, apparently unscathed.