{"id":1817,"date":"2021-09-16T09:27:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-16T09:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/?p=1817"},"modified":"2021-09-16T09:27:00","modified_gmt":"2021-09-16T09:27:00","slug":"5x-mythical-cols-in-the-pyrenees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/en\/verhalen\/5x-mythische-cols-in-de-pyreneeen","title":{"rendered":"5x mythical cols in the Pyrenees"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the moment I was about 8 years old, we are talking about the year 1992, I was sitting in the Tour de France <\/a>hours glued to the television. Especially the mountain tracks were a must-see. In the Alps<\/a> They were the resounding names of Alpe d'Huez<\/a>, Galibier<\/a> and Croix-de-Fer. Long runs, which could sometimes be excruciatingly painful. It was also beautiful in the Pyrenees. Col du Tourmalet. A name couldn\u2019t be more perfect. The Portet d\u2019Aspet is also etched forever in my memory. Not for the right reason. I had a penchant for those mountain climbs. It also helped that my childhood hero, Richard Virenque, showed up well in them. A brilliant rider and a true master of the art at the same time. But weren\u2019t they all? Everyone knows the Alpine Cols, but the Pyrenees are often under-represented. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve put together a nice list of 5 mythical Cols in the Pyrenees that you really need to climb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By: Sander Kolsloot<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Col du Tourmalet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If a mountain is synonymous with my tour experience, then this is it. Only because of the name, Tourmalet. It fits so nicely in the mouth. The nickname \u2018the terrible mountain\u2019 is quite appropriate. It hurts the legs so much. No matter which way you choose, they are about the same length (17 to 18 kilometers), just as steep (7.4%), but the west side is much more irregular. The climb starts from Luz-Saint-Saveur and ranges from 4 to 7 % with peaks up to 12! It is also often terribly hot there and you climb to an altitude of 2115 meters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Col du Tourmalet<\/a>, Luz Saint Sauveur, France<\/p>\u2022 Distance: 18.4 km, Elevation: 1385 m, Average grade: 7.6 %<\/blockquote>