Col du Glandon

Col du Glandon (1,924 m (6,312 ft)) is a high mountain pass in the Dauphiné Alps in Savoie, France, linking Le Bourg-d'Oisans to La Chambre. It is situated between the Belledonne, Grandes Rousses and Arvan-Villards mountain ranges, west of the Col de la Croix de Fer. The road over the Col du Glandon was opened in 1898, although it was not linked to the Col de la Croix de Fer until 1912.

Col du Glandon
Elevation1,924 m (6,312 ft)
Traversed byD927 road
LocationSavoie, France
RangeDauphiné Alps
Coordinates45°14′22″N 6°10′32″E
Col du Glandon
Col du Glandon

The pass is normally closed from the beginning of November to mid May.[1] It is sometimes used by the Tour de France cycle race, including on the 2013 Tour.

Details of the climb

From La Chambre (north-east) the climb follows the D927. The ascent is 21.3 km (13.2 mi) long, climbing 1,472 m (4,829 ft) at an average gradient of 6.9%. The gradient increases as the road approaches the summit, with the last two kilometres exceeding 10% with stretches at 12%.[1]

From Le Bourg-d'Oisans the route follows the D1091 through the Romanche valley before joining the D526 after 8 km (5 mi). The climb starts at the Barrage du Verney from where there is a further 24.1 km (15.0 mi) to the summit, which is reached shortly after the junction with the route to Col de la Croix de Fer. Over this distance, the height gained is 1,152 m (3,780 ft); the average gradient is thus 4.8%, although there are some downhill sections en route and a maximum uphill gradient of 11.1%.[2]

In the climb from La Chambre mountain pass cycling milestones are placed every kilometre. They indicate the distance to the summit, the current height, and the average slope in the following kilometre. Such signposting for cyclists has become common in most major mountain passes in the French Pyrenees and Alps.

Tour de France

The Col du Glandon was first crossed in the Tour de France in 1947 in conjunction with the Col de la Croix de Fer when the first rider over the summit was Edward Klabiński.[3] The pass is often used in conjunction with the Col de la Croix de Fer when it is not categorized for the King of the Mountains competition.

Categorized appearances in Tour de France
Year Stage Category Start Finish Leader at the summit
2013 19 HC Le Bourg-d'Oisans Le Grand-Bornand  Ryder Hesjedal (CAN)
2004 17 1 Le Bourg-d'Oisans Le Grand-Bornand  Gilberto Simoni (ITA)
2001 10 HC Aix-les-Bains Alpe d'Huez  Laurent Roux (FRA)
1997 14 1 Le Bourg-d'Oisans Courchevel  Richard Virenque (FRA)
1994 17 1 Le Bourg-d'Oisans Val Thorens  Richard Virenque (FRA)
1993 10 1 Villard-de-Lans Serre-Chevalier  Stefano Colagè (ITA)
1990 11 1 Saint-Gervais-les-Bains Alpe d'Huez  Thierry Claveyrolat (FRA)
1988 12 HC Morzine Alpe d'Huez  Steven Rooks (NED)
1983 18 1 Le Bourg-d'Oisans Morzine  Serge Demierre (SUI)
1983 17 1 La Tour-du-Pin Alpe d'Huez  Lucien Van Impe (BEL)
1981 19 HC Morzine Alpe d'Huez  Lucien Van Impe (BEL)
1977 17 1 Chamonix Alpe d'Huez  Lucien Van Impe (BEL)
1947 8 3 Grenoble Briançon  Edward Klabiński (POL)

See also

References
  1. "Col du Glandon: La Chambre". climbbybike.com. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  2. "Col du Glandon: Barrage du Verney". climbbybike.com. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  3. "Le col du Glandon dans le Tour de France" (in French). ledicodutour. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
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