Читать книгу Tour Climbs: The complete guide to every mountain stage on the Tour de France - Chris Sidwells - Страница 51

Length: 21.8 km

Altitude: 1865 metres

Height gain: 710 metres

Average gradient: 3.3%

Maximum gradient: 8%

This climb starts just over the Spanish border in Urtx near to Puigcerda and is totally within Spain. It’s a very attractive climb with lots of twists, turns and gradient changes, but it is a main road so can be quite busy. The average gradient is not steep, but there are two stretches of eight percent going up and, infuriatingly, one stretch that descends.

The Col de Toses has only been visted by the Tour de France twice, once in 1957 when Jean Bourlès triumphed, and again in 1965 when the winner was a Spaniard called José Pérez-Francés.

Bourlès was a very talented French rider who won the sixteenth stage of the 1957 Tour de France, but was only a pro rider for three full years, despite legend having it that he was one of the best three bike riders that Brittany has ever produced. The thing was that Bourlès didn’t like travelling, and cycling was so popular in his home region that he could earn enough money just from racing there as a semi-pro rider.

The Col de Toses also has its own legend. Some academics claim that there is evidence of a prehistoric tribe of people living there that were much shorter than other people of the same era and had red hair.

WHICH WAY? Urtx is seven kilometres south of Puigcerda on the N152. Puigcerda is about 30 kilometres southeast of the top of the Col de Puymorens on the N20 and 65 kilometres west of Perpignan on the N116. Continue on the N152 to the top of the Col de Toses.