Читать книгу Tour Climbs: The complete guide to every mountain stage on the Tour de France - Chris Sidwells - Страница 33

3 STARS

Length: 10.9 km

Altitude: 1349 metres

Height gain: 716 metres

Average gradient: 6.6%

Maximum gradient: 11%

WHAT TO EXPECT

Peace and quiet. With not many population centres near it and even fewer people needing to use it the Col de Menté is a haven of peace for cyclists.

Memorials. At the top of the climb there is a memorial to a local Tour de France rider from the 1970s, Serge Lapebie. Serge was from a cycling family. His father Guy was an Olympic gold medallist on the track and his uncle Roger won the 1937 Tour de France. On the descent you will also find a memorial to Luis Ocana on the spot where he crashed in 1971.

Full Menté. For an extra challenge follow the D85 before switching to the D44 and going for the top of the Menté. This road takes you over the Col d’Artigastou, which has never been climbed by the Tour, and down to the N125. It’s just 3 kilometres along this road to the Spanish border.

Starting at the foot of the Col de Portet d’Aspet, the Col de Menté has had a long involvement with the Tour de France. It’s a classic climb, full of history. Not a long one or that high, but it has a sinuous, secluded feel that is typical of the Pyrenees and it has an air of peace so you can really appreciate where you are.

The climb starts at the Pont de l’Oule, and it is easy to miss if you are riding the descent of the Portet d’Aspet. You are looking for a sharp left turn about two kilometres after the Casartelli memorial. Coming in the other direction it is much easier to see the signpost to the climb.

The first part of the climb is through the quite dense forest that grows on the sides of the Ger valley, which is especially beautiful in autumn. The first two kilometres climb at less than four percent, but then there is an 500 metre section of eleven percent that eases slightly to just under ten for the next kilometre. After that comes a short descent, then the climb starts properly.

It’s fairly unrelenting now until the top. The road breaks from the forest and climbs a set of lacets, then spears eastwards in a straight line. This is a specially beautiful part of the climb as it traverses crazily angled fields that are studded with wild flowers. Traffic is rare because there are quicker ways into the upper Garonne valley than by the Col de Menté.

More lacets take you to a junction with an old forest road, the Col de Clin, and from there the road goes more or less straight to the top, where a road heads off to the left through a dense pine forest to the ski station of Mourtis. The ski station has hosted two stage finishes of the Tour de France. There is a café at the top too, if you need refreshing.

The Col de Menté is the location for one of the world’s toughest duathlon races. It comprises a nine kilometres run, an 85 kilometre bike ride that includes two ascents of the Menté, and a 16 kilometre run to finish. It’s usually held at the end of July, so it’s hot as well as hard.

WHICH WAY?

There aren’t many big towns close to the Col de Menté. St Gaudens is 25 kilometres away but a good base. Head southeast on the D5 until you see the right turn along the D85 signposted to the col. Follow the D85, then the D44 to the top. Otherwise you could climb the Col de Portet d’Aspet from St Girons and turn left for the Col de Menté at the end of the descent.

The Col de Menté made its first Tour appearance in 1966. A Spaniard, Manuel Galera, was the first to the top, and since that day the Tour has been back 14 times.

The most turbulent visit was in 1971 when Eddy Merckx was fighting Luis Ocana for overall victory. Ocana had humbled Merckx on the stage to the Alpine climb of Orcieres-Merlette and taken the lead by a huge margin. Merckx attacked every day after that and was clawing back time, but it didn’t look like it would be enough. He threw everything he had at Ocana on the Menté. Ocana resisted Merckx, but then nature stepped in. They descended the Menté in torrential rain and Ocana, trying to stay with Merckx, crashed. His injuries were too bad for the Spaniard to continue and Merckx won the Tour, but he was lucky.

Waterfall on the descent

Lacets on the Col de Mente

Where Ocana fell in 1971