The pros already moved on from only two Pyrenees stages which brought more spectacle than many expected.
As I have no less than 15 stages – provided I do not blow myself up like I did during my Tour of 2021 – I will have a lot more climbs to chose from.
But the more I look at/study the map on climbfinder, the more I realize that those are not enough to squeeze every one of them in.
In my – base camp – area, there are plenty hardly worth a second look, but the list of those I consider a “must” is just too long…
I also do not want to spend too many hours on car transfers, but I won’t be able to avoid those either.
In my previous Tour de France 2023 post, I described my first stage and I think it would make sense to make the reverse of that my last.
Mostly depending on how I feel, I might skip the final descend down the Port de Balès.
I don’t think it will save time, as I’m usually faster on the descends than Paula in the team car, so I will then have to wait at the bottom anyway 😂
At any rate, these two stages will have covered both ends of the Col d’Aspin, the Col de Peyresourde and the Port de Balès.
From Bagnères-de-Bigorre, the following cols are on the “must do” list:
- Col du Tourmalet – I might dedicate one stage to both ends of this col (Saint-Marie de Campan / Luz-Saint-Sauveur) but the western approach is good for a stage out of Argelès-Gazost too.
- Hourquette d’Ancizan (Payolle) – I could descend, include the Granges the Lurgues and then return for the other end of the Hourquette.
- Pla d’Adet and Col de Portet – they both start in Saint-Lary-Soulan, whereas I have the option to do either from the split in Espiaubé. Col de Portet is 100 meters higher than the Tourmalet and almost as hard as the Col de la Loze, which brought me to my knees last year during stage 5.
- Also from Saint-Lary-Soulan, there’s even a fork at Fabian, with both ends splitting into a fork too:
- Lac d’Aumar/Lac d’Aubert and Lac de Cap-de-Long
- Piau-Engaly and Port de Bielsa – the latter will probably end for cyclists at the tunnel crossing into Spain, but I’m not sure and that would be a downhill anyway towards the Spanish starting point in Salinas de Sin.
There are a few more almost starting at my doorstep, but they go on the “nice to tick off” list and/or can be climbed on a “rest” day…
From Argèles-Gazost the list is not any shorter:
- Col d’Aubisque – two for the climb of one, as this is via the Col du Soulor – if I want to challenge myself, I’d first get to that “split”, descend to Arthez d’Assons and climb the Soulor from there (too), before continuing to the summit of the Aubisque. The Aubisque from both ends in one stage is a possibility too :-) As you can see – on the map – I also have the alternative of climbing up the Aubisque via the Soulor from Arthez d’Assons, then descend to Laruns and climb that other end of the Aubisque.
- The latter could, however, also be included in a stage starting in Laruns, which is about 1.5 hours by car from Bagnères-de-Bigorre:
- Start with the Col du Portalet, descend back and then tackle the Aubisque, descend over the Soulor back to Agrgèles-Gazost and return home by car from there.
- Or, combine the Portalet with the climb of the Col de Marie-Blanque (Bielle / Escot) and then go home by car from the summit or after the descend.
- The latter could, however, also be included in a stage starting in Laruns, which is about 1.5 hours by car from Bagnères-de-Bigorre:
- A bit south of Argèles-Gazost, there’s Luz Ardiden from Luz-Saint-Sauveur / Viscos.
- Also from Luz-Saint-Sauveur: the fork – splitting at Gavarnie-Gèdre – Col de Tentes and Cirque de Troumouse.
Furthermore, there’s the Gran Fondo Marmotte Pyrenees – that officially starts in Argèles-Gazost and finishes in Luz Ardiden.
Doing that would save me from breaking my head on how to include Luz Ardiden in a stage, other than combined with (both ends of) the Tourmalet, which is exactly what the Marmotte does.
It also includes the Hourquette and the eastern approach of the Col d’Aspin. The latter is a pity, as I already have that planned for my prologue – unless I forfait that…
Then again, it ticks off one end of the Hourquette, meaning I could do another stage – from Anzican or Guchen – including the Granges the Lurgues and the Anzican end of the Hourquette.
Starting this Marmotte from my doorstep or from Campan is, like the Marmotte Alpes I did, a lot smarter, saving car transfer time.
I will try and work out some of the described alternatives into actual stages, but my experience is that my planning ends up in the shredder after a day or two anyway 😂
My version of the Marmotte Pyrenees
