Читать книгу Tour Climbs: The complete guide to every mountain stage on the Tour de France - Chris Sidwells - Страница 50

Length: 9.4 km

Altitude: 1400 metres

Height gain: 744 metres

Average gradient: 5.3%

Maximum gradient: 18%

The Tours of Italy and Spain have included super-steep climbs on the routes of their races for many years, but in 2012 the Tour de France started to follow a trend that is really popular with cycling fans. Three very steep climbs were tried for the first time in the 2012 Tour route, including the Mur de la Peguere.

It’s a tiny road that starts at the top of another pass, the Col de Caougnous (944 metres), and the Caougnous is counted in the overall length of the Mur. Mur means wall, and the sliver of road that spears northwards from the Caougnous summit is a veritable wall with an average gradient of 12.2 percent for 3.4 kilometres, with two short but significant stretches of 18 percent climbing.

Sandy Casar of France led the Tour over this new climb in 2012.

WHICH WAY? The Col de Caougnous begins in Massat, 28 kilometres southeast of St Girons – it’s the D618. The Mur de la Peguere is a sharp left at the Caougnous summit. This links with the D17 road to Foix.