Cyclopaat, an alter ego with a twist
Posts with info on more famous cols, all of which (must) have been cycled by me
The Bernina Pass (2,328m, sign reads 2,330m) or Passo del Bernina in Italian, is the 6th highest mountain pass in Switzerland.
It connects the famous resort town of St. Moritz with the Poschiavo valley, which ends in the Italian town of Tirano in the Valtellina valley.
Once down in Tirano, the Mortirolo is only a short-ish distance away…
With 2,744 meters it has also been the Cima Coppi in the Giro d’Italia three times.
It was included in 1994 too, but so was the Stelvio that year. In 1995 it was also scheduled, but avalanches made it impossible to cross…
It is also Europe’s highest international pass, connecting France and Italy.
A not too busy road, where you’re not constantly overtaken by motor bikes or cars at high speed.
The pass out of the valley on the opposite side of the French end – the Izoard – is a lot busier for that matter…
The Col du Tourmalet – 2,115 m – is maybe the most famous col of the (men’s) Tour de France, but it has definitely been climbed most often.
No less than 91 times it was included in a stage in the Tour de France (incl. Femmes) and also a number of times in a Vuelta a España stage.
Just inside the top 25 of Europe’s highest mountain passes, the Col d’Izoard (2,360 m) is located in the French Hautes-Alpes department.
It is part of the “Route des Grand Alpes”, the part of the D902 between (north-east of) Barcelonnette and Briançon.
That part first goes up and down the Col de Vars, runs through the famous Gorges du Guil from Guillestre and then up and down the Izoard to end in Briançon.
What could I possibly add to the many, many pages dedicated to this particular climb?
One that’s on the bucket list of nearly every cyclist who dares to venture into the Alps…
A climb that is imprinted into the memory of Tour de France followers as being ‘pivotal’ in many a stage, if not decisive to the overall win.
Which, at the time of posting this page and looking at the ‘hard evidence’, has only been the case in 7 out of the 29 times the Alpe has been included in the TDF…
