Col de Marie-Blanque
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| Col de Marie-Blanque | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 1,035 metres (3,396 feet) |
| Location | Pyrénées-Atlantiques,  France |
| Range | Pyrenees |
| Coordinates | |
| Traversed by | D294 |
Col de Marie-Blanque (el. 1035 m.) is a mountain pass in the western Pyrenees in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques in France. The pass is situated south-east of Oloron-Sainte-Marie and connects the valleys of the Aspe and the Ossau rivers. The climb is popular with both amateur and professional cyclists.
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[edit] Details of the climb
The western side of the climb, starts from Escot on the N134 and is 9.3 km long at an average of 7.7% (height gain - 715 m). Although relatively short, there are several long sections with gradients in excess of 11%.
From the east, the climb starts at Bielle on the D934. The climb is 11.5 km long gaining 585 m. (an average of 5.1%), with a maximum of 8.5% near the start. En route, the climb passes the Plateau de Bénou.
[edit] Tour de France
The pass was first used in the Tour de France in 1978 and has been crossed 13 times by the tour, including on stage 16 of the 2007 tour from Orthez to Gourette-Col d'Aubisque.
[edit] Appearances in Tour de France
| Year | Stage | Category | Leader at the summit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 16 | 1 | Mauricio Soler |
| 2006 | 10 | 1 | Cyril Dessel |
| 2005 | 16 | 1 | Jörg Ludewig |
| 2000 | 10 | 1 | Javier Ochoa |
| 1996 | 17 | 2 | Neil Stephens |
| 1995 | 16 | 2 | Stage neutralised |
| 1992 | 2 | 1 | Richard Virenque |
| 1990 | 17 | 1 | Dominique Arnaud |
| 1989 | 9 | 1 | Robert Forest |
| 1987 | 14 | 1 | Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle |
| 1987 | 13 | 1 | Luis Herrera |
| 1986 | 12 | 1 | Pedro Delgado |
| 1978 | 10 | 2 | Michel Pollentier |
[edit] External links
