Col du Tourmalet (2,115m) is the highest peak in the French Pyrenees, located in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées. The pass connects the towns of Sainte-Marie-de-Campan to the northeast and Luz Saint Sauveur to the west.
The Col du Tourmalet, commonly known as just the Tourmalet among cycling fans in France, is one of the most iconic climbs in the Tour de France, alongside Alpe d’Huez, Mont Ventoux, and Hautacam.
Col du Tourmalet is a tough Hors Catégorie (HC) climb as you’ll go above 2,000m above sea level.
There are two ways to climb the Col du Tourmalet.
- From Sainte-Marie-de-Campan (northeast)
- From Luz Saint Sauveur (west)
The Col d’Aspin and Col du Peyresoude are also within the vicinity of Col du Tourmalet for those who are looking to do multiple climbs in a single ride.
Starting point : Sainte-Marie-de-Campan
Sainte-Marie-de-Campan is located to the east of Col du Tourmalet. From Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, its 17km to the top of Col du Tourmalet with an average gradient of 7.2%
The first 4km are relatively flat before the gradient gets steeper.
| Col du Tourmalet from Sainte-Marie de Campan | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 17.0km |
| Climb category | HC |
| Elevation gain | 1,236m |
| Minimum elevation | 861m |
| Maximum elevation | 2,094m |
| Average gradient | 7.2% |
| Maximum gradient | 11.6% |
| Strava segment | Col du Tourmalet from Sainte-Marie de Campan |
Starting point : Luz Saint Sauveur
Luz Saint Sauveur is located west of Col du Tourmalet. The climb from Luz Saint Sauveur is 18.8km long with an average gradient of 7.4%.
It’s a long climb, so pace yourself and save something much steeper for the last 2km.
| Col du Tourmalet from Luz Saint Sauveur | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 18.8km |
| Climb category | HC |
| Elevation gain | 1,387m |
| Minimum elevation | 721m |
| Maximum elevation | 2,111m |
| Average gradient | 7.4% |
| Maximum gradient | 12.4% |
| Strava segment | Col du Tourmalet from Luz Saint Sauveur |
Col du Tourmalet in the Tour de France
Col du Tourmalet is an Hors Catégorie (HC) climb from both directions; Sainte-Marie-de-Campan and Luz Saint Sauveur. It holds the record for the most Tour de France appearances with 88, dating back to 1910.
Since 1947, Col du Tourmalet has never been absent for more than two years. From 2001, Col du Tourmalet has been featured 15 times.
It was last used in 2021, on a short Stage 18 (129.7km), where the peloton climbed Col du Tourmalet before finishing atop the Luz Ardiden, where Tadej Pogačar won the stage.
| Year | Stage | Category | Start | Finish | First to summit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 18 | HC | Pau | Luz Ardiden | Pierre Latour |
| 2019 | 14 | HC | Tarbes | Col du Tourmalet | Thibaut Pinot |
| 2018 | 19 | HC | Lourdes | Laruns | Julian Alaphilippe |
| 2016 | 8 | HC | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Thibaut Pinot |
| 2015 | 11 | HC | Pau | Cauterets | Rafał Majka |
| 2014 | 18 | HC | Pau | Hautacam | Blel Kadri |
| 2012 | 16 | HC | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Thomas Voeckler |
| 2011 | 12 | HC | Cugnaux | Luz-Ardiden | Jérémy Roy |
| 2010 | 17 | HC | Pau | Col du Tourmalet | Andy Schleck |
| 2010 | 16 | HC | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Pau | Christophe Moreau |
| 2009 | 9 | HC | Saint-Gaudens | Tarbes | Franco Pellizotti |
| 2008 | 10 | HC | Pau | Hautacam | Rémy Di Gregorio |
| 2006 | 11 | HC | Tarbes | Val d’Aran–Pla-de-Beret | David de la Fuente |
| 2003 | 15 | HC | Bagnères-de-Bigorre | Luz-Ardiden | Sylvain Chavanel |
| 2001 | 14 | HC | Tarbes | Luz-Ardiden | Sven Montgomery |
| 1999 | 16 | HC | Lannemezan | Pau | Alberto Elli |
| 1998 | 10 | HC | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Alberto Elli |
| 1997 | 9 | HC | Pau | Loudenvielle | Javier Pascual-Rodriguez |
| 1995 | 15 | HC | Saint-Girons | Cauterets–Crêtes du Lys | Richard Virenque |
| 1994 | 12 | HC | Lourdes | Luz-Ardiden | Richard Virenque |
| 1993 | 17 | HC | Tarbes | Pau | Tony Rominger |
| 1991 | 13 | HC | Jaca | Val-Louron | Claudio Chiappucci |
| 1990 | 16 | HC | Blagnac | Luz-Ardiden | Miguel Martinez-Torres |
| 1989 | 10 | HC | Cauterets | Superbagnères | Robert Millar |
| 1988 | 15 | HC | Saint-Girons | Luz-Ardiden | Laudelino Cubino |
| 1986 | 13 | HC | Pau | Superbagnères | Dominique Arnaud |
| 1985 | 17 | HC | Toulouse | Luz-Ardiden | Pello Ruiz-Cabestany |
| 1983 | 10 | HC | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Patrocinio Jimenez |
| 1980 | 13 | HC | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Raymond Martin |
| 1978 | 11 | 1 | Pau | Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet | Michel Pollentier |
| 1977 | 2 | 1 | Auch | Pau | Lucien Van Impe |
| 1976 | 15 | 1 | Saint-Lary-Soulan | Pau | Francisco Galdós |
| 1975 | 11 | 1 | Pau | Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet | Lucien Van Impe |
| 1974 | 17 | 1 | Saint-Lary-Soulan | Col du Tourmalet | Jean-Pierre Danguillaume |
| 1974 | 18 | 1 | Bagnères-de-Bigorre | Pau | Gonzalo Aja |
| 1973 | 14 | 1 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Pau | Bernard Thévenet |
| 1972 | 8 | 1 | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Roger Swerts |
| 1971 | 16 | 1 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Gourette–les-Eaux-Bonnes | Lucien Van Impe |
| 1970 | 19 | 1 | Bagnères-de-Bigorre | Mourenx | Andrés Gandarias |
| 1969 | 17 | 1 | La Mongie | Mourenx | Eddy Merckx |
| 1968 | 8 | 1 | Pau | Saint-Gaudens | Jean-Pierre Ducasse |
| 1967 | 17 | 1 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Pau | Julio Jiménez |
| 1965 | 9 | 1 | Dax | Bagnères-de-Bigorre | Julio Jiménez |
| 1964 | 16 | 1 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Pau | Julio Jiménez |
| 1963 | 10 | 1 | Pau | Bagnères-de-Bigorre | Raymond Poulidor |
| 1962 | 17 | 1 | Pau | Saint-Gaudens | Federico Bahamontes |
| 1961 | 17 | 1 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Pau | Marcel Queheille |
| 1960 | 11 | 1 | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Kurt Gimmi |
| 1959 | 10 | 1 | Bayonne | Bagnères-de-Bigorre | Armand Desmet |
| 1957 | 18 | 1 | Saint-Gaudens | Pau | José Manuel Ribeiro da Silva |
| 1955 | 18 | 1 | Saint-Gaudens | Pau | Miguel Poblet |
| 1954 | 12 | 1 | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Federico Bahamontes |
| 1953 | 11 | 1 | Cauterets | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Jean Robic |
| 1952 | 18 | 1 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Pau | Fausto Coppi |
| 1951 | 14 | 1 | Tarbes | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Jean Diederich |
| 1950 | 11 | 1 | Pau | Saint-Gaudens | Kléber Piot |
| 1949 | 11 | 1 | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Fausto Coppi |
| 1948 | 8 | 1 | Lourdes | Toulouse | Jean Robic |
| 1947 | 15 | 1 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Pau | Jean Robic |
| 1939 | 9 | Pau | Toulouse | Edward Vissers | |
| 1938 | 8 | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Gino Bartali | |
| 1937 | 15 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Pau | Julián Berrendero | |
| 1936 | 16 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Pau | Sylvère Maes | |
| 1935 | 15 | Perpignan | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Sylvère Maes | |
| 1934 | 15 | Tarbes | Pau | René Vietto | |
| 1933 | 18 | Tarbes | Pau | Vicente Trueba | |
| 1932 | 5 | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Benoît Fauré | |
| 1931 | 9 | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Jef Demuysere | |
| 1930 | 9 | Pau | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Benoît Fauré | |
| 1929 | 9 | Bayonne | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Victor Fontan | |
| 1928 | 9 | Hendaye | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Camille Van de Casteele | |
| 1927 | 11 | Bayonne | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Nicolas Frantz | |
| 1926 | 10 | Bayonne | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Odiel Taillieu | |
| 1925 | 8 | Bayonne | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Omer Huyse | |
| 1924 | 6 | Bayonne | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Ottavio Bottecchia | |
| 1923 | 6 | Bayonne | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Robert Jacquinot | |
| 1921 | 6 | Bayonne | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Hector Heusghem | |
| 1920 | 6 | Bayonne | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Firmin Lambot | |
| 1919 | 6 | Bayonne | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Honore Barthelemy | |
| 1914 | 6 | Bayonne | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Firmin Lambot | |
| 1913 | 6 | Bayonne | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Philippe Thys | |
| 1912 | 10 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Bayonne | Odile Defraye | |
| 1911 | 10 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Bayonne | Paul Duboc | |
| 1910 | 10 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Bayonne | Octave Lapize |