Col de Menté
Encyclopedia
The Col de Menté is a mountain pass
in the central Pyrenees
in the department of Haute-Garonne
in France
. It is situated on the D44 road between Saint-Béat
and the D618 (at the bottom of the Col de Portet d'Aspet
). At 1349 m, it connects the Ger and Garonne
valleys.At one km distance it's the Mourtis ski resort.
Starting from St. Béat (west), the climb is 9.3 km long. Over this distance, the climb is 849 m. (an average percentage of 9.1%) with several sections in excess of 11%.
At the summit there is a road that loops up and over the Col de Menté-Le Mourtis (1409 m.), via the ski-station, returning to the Col de Menté.
in 1966
and has appeared frequently since. The leader over the summit in 1966 was Joaquim Galera
.
The Col has featured 14 times (including on stage 15 of the 2007 tour
). In addition, the Tour de France crossed the Col de Menté-Le Mourtis in 1979 and 1995.
Spanish cyclist Luis Ocaña
was in the Maillot Jaune with an overall lead of 7 minutes on Eddy Merckx
and they crossed the summit of the Col de Menté together in a storm, with streams of mud running across the road. Merckx, an excellent descender, attacked as he descended dangerously down the mountain road. To stay in contact with Merckx, Ocaña took risks descending. Flying through the corners, Merckx lost control and skidded into a low retaining wall at the side of the road. Ocaña trailing close behind could not avoid the fallen Merckx and fell himself. Merckx was up quickly and sped away. Ocaña struggled to release his cleats from the toe clips and was struck by the pursuing Joop Zoetemelk
. Ocaña lay on the ground screaming with pain. Help arrived quickly and Ocaña was rushed by helicopter to the hospital in St. Gaudens. He recovered from his injuries, but his 1971 Tour dreams had come to an end. The following day Merckx refused to wear the yellow jersey in order to pay tribute to Ocaña. There is now a memorial plaque at the scene of the accident on the eastern side of the Col de Menté (at 42°54′55.9"N 0°44′37.7"E).
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the central Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
in the department of Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne is a department in the southwest of France named after the Garonne river. Its main city is Toulouse.-History:Haute-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc.The...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is situated on the D44 road between Saint-Béat
Saint-Béat
Saint-Béat is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.The Pic du Gar is a striking limestone mountain in the area.-Population:-References:*...
and the D618 (at the bottom of the Col de Portet d'Aspet
Col de Portet d'Aspet
The Col de Portet d'Aspet is a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees in the department of Haute-Garonne in France. It is situated on the D618 road between Aspet and St. Girons. At , it connects the Ger and Bouigane valleys, on the slopes of the Pic de Paloumère .-Details of climb:Starting from...
). At 1349 m, it connects the Ger and Garonne
Garonne
The Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of .-Source:The Garonne's headwaters are to be found in the Aran Valley in the Pyrenees, though three different locations have been proposed as the true source: the Uelh deth Garona at Plan de Beret , the Ratera-Saboredo...
valleys.At one km distance it's the Mourtis ski resort.
Details of climb
Starting from Pont de l'Oule (east), the climb is 10.9 km long. Over this distance, the climb is 716 m. (an average percentage of 6.6%). The climb proper starts at Ger-de-Boutx, 7 km from the summit (at 7.8%), with the steepest sections being at 10.5%.Starting from St. Béat (west), the climb is 9.3 km long. Over this distance, the climb is 849 m. (an average percentage of 9.1%) with several sections in excess of 11%.
At the summit there is a road that loops up and over the Col de Menté-Le Mourtis (1409 m.), via the ski-station, returning to the Col de Menté.
Appearances in Tour de France
The Col de Menté was first used in the Tour de FranceTour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
in 1966
1966 Tour de France
The 1966 Tour de France was the 53rd Tour de France, taking place June 21 to July 14, 1966. It consisted of 22 stages over 4303 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.760 km/h....
and has appeared frequently since. The leader over the summit in 1966 was Joaquim Galera
Joaquim Galera
Joaquim Galera Magdelano is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer.- Palmarès :1965- External links :*...
.
The Col has featured 14 times (including on stage 15 of the 2007 tour
2007 Tour de France
The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
). In addition, the Tour de France crossed the Col de Menté-Le Mourtis in 1979 and 1995.
| Year | Stage | Category | Leader at the summit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 2007 Tour de France The 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain... |
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| 2005 2005 Tour de France The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was... |
15 | 1 | Erik Dekker Erik Dekker Hendrik "Erik" Dekker is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.-Amateur career:... |
| 2003 2003 Tour de France The 2003 Tour de France started and ended in Paris. Lasting from July 5 to July 27 the race covered 3,427.5 km , proceeding clockwise in twenty stages around France, including six major mountain stages... |
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| 2001 2001 Tour de France The 2001 Tour de France was particularly difficult, having contained a 67-km long team time trial, two individual time trials and five mountain-top finishes on consecutive days, the second of which being the Chamrousse special category climb time trial. Thus, all the high-mountain stages were... |
13 | 1 | Laurent Jalabert Laurent Jalabert Laurent Jalabert is a French former professional road racing cyclist, from 1989 to 2002. Affectionately known as "Jaja" , he won many one-day and stage races and was ranked number 1 in the 1990s... |
| 1999 1999 Tour de France The 1999 Tour de France was the 86th Tour de France, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 1999. It was won by Lance Armstrong, his first of 7 consecutive wins, the most in Tour history. There were no French stage winners for the first time since the 1926 Tour de France.The 1999 edition of Tour de... |
15 | 1 | Alberto Elli Alberto Elli Alberto Elli is a former Italian road racing cyclist, who wore the yellow jersey for 4 days in the 2000 Tour de France... |
| 1998 1998 Tour de France The 1998 Tour de France, also called the Tour du Dopage , was marred by doping scandals throughout known as the Festina affair, starting with the arrest of Willy Voet, a soigneur in the French Festina team. Voet was traveling into France when he was arrested and found with large quantities of... |
11 | 1 | Alberto Elli Alberto Elli Alberto Elli is a former Italian road racing cyclist, who wore the yellow jersey for 4 days in the 2000 Tour de France... |
| 1995 1995 Tour de France The 1995 Tour de France was the 82nd Tour de France, taking place July 1 to July 23, 1995. It was Miguel Indurain's fifth and final victory in the Tour. On the fifteenth stage Italian rider Fabio Casartelli died after an accident on the Col de Portet d'Aspet.... |
15 | 1 | Richard Virenque Richard Virenque Richard VirenqueRichard Virenque's name is pronounced Ree-shah Vee-rahnk. Virenque considers himself a man of the South but pronounces his name in standard French. Confusion is caused by the southern habit of pronouncing "en" as "ang" or "eng", making it Vee-rank. But Virenque says Vee-rahnk or... |
| 1988 1988 Tour de France The 1988 Tour de France was the 75th Tour de France, taking place from July 4 to July 24, 1988. It consisted of 22 stages over 3281 km, ridden at an average speed of 38.909 km/h... |
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| 1979 1979 Tour de France The 1979 Tour de France was the 66th Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 22, 1979. The total race distance was 24 stages over 3765 km, with riders averaging 36.513 km/h. It was the only tour to finish at L'Alpe d'Huez twice. It was won by Bernard Hinault, who also won the points... |
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| 1976 1976 Tour de France The 1976 Tour de France was the 63rd Tour de France, taking place June 24 to July 18, 1976. The total race distance was 22 stages over 4017 km, with riders averaging 34.518 km/h.It was won by mountain specialist Lucien Van Impe... |
14 | 2 | Lucien Van Impe Lucien Van Impe Lucien van Impe was a Belgian cyclist from 1969 to 1987. He excelled mainly as a climber in multiple-day races such as the Tour de France... |
| 1973 1973 Tour de France The 1973 Tour de France was the 60th Tour de France, taking place June 30 to July 22, 1973. It consisted of 20 stages over 4140.4 km, ridden at an average speed of 33.918 km/h. After winning the 1973 Vuelta a España and the 1973 Giro d'Italia, Eddy Merckx did not participate in the Tour... |
13 | 2 | José-Manuel Fuente |
| 1971 1971 Tour de France The 1971 Tour de France was the 58th Tour de France, taking place June 26 to July 18, 1971. It consisted of 22 stages over , ridden at an average speed of .... |
14 | 2 | José-Manuel Fuente |
| 1970 1970 Tour de France The 1970 Tour de France was the 57th Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 19, 1970. It consisted of 23 stages over 4366 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.589 km/h.... |
18 | 2 | Guerrino Tosello |
| 1969 1969 Tour de France The 1969 Tour de France was the 56th Tour de France, taking place June 28 to July 20, 1969. It consisted of 22 stages over 4110 km , ridden at an average speed of 35.409 km/h... |
16 | 2 | Raymond Delisle Raymond Delisle Raymond Delisle is a French former professional road bicycle racer. He is the only rider to have won a stage of the Tour de France on 14 July, France's national day, while wearing the jersey of national champion.... |
| 1967 1967 Tour de France The 1967 Tour de France was the 54th Tour de France, taking place June 29 to July 23, 1967. It consisted of 22 stages over 4780 km, ridden at 35.018 km/h... |
16 | 1 | Fernando Manzanèque Fernando Manzaneque Fernando Manzaneque Sánchez was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist born in Campo de Criptana. Fernando was the older brother of Jesús Manzaneque.-Major Results:19551957... |
| 1966 1966 Tour de France The 1966 Tour de France was the 53rd Tour de France, taking place June 21 to July 14, 1966. It consisted of 22 stages over 4303 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.760 km/h.... |
11 | 2 | Joaquim Galera Joaquim Galera Joaquim Galera Magdelano is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer.- Palmarès :1965- External links :*... |
Luis Ocaña
On stage 14 of the 1971 Tour de France1971 Tour de France
The 1971 Tour de France was the 58th Tour de France, taking place June 26 to July 18, 1971. It consisted of 22 stages over , ridden at an average speed of ....
Spanish cyclist Luis Ocaña
Luis Ocaña
Jesús Luis Ocaña Pernía was a Spanish road bicycle racer who won the Tour de France in 1973 and the Vuelta a España in 1970.- Early professional career :...
was in the Maillot Jaune with an overall lead of 7 minutes on Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
and they crossed the summit of the Col de Menté together in a storm, with streams of mud running across the road. Merckx, an excellent descender, attacked as he descended dangerously down the mountain road. To stay in contact with Merckx, Ocaña took risks descending. Flying through the corners, Merckx lost control and skidded into a low retaining wall at the side of the road. Ocaña trailing close behind could not avoid the fallen Merckx and fell himself. Merckx was up quickly and sped away. Ocaña struggled to release his cleats from the toe clips and was struck by the pursuing Joop Zoetemelk
Joop Zoetemelk
Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second...
. Ocaña lay on the ground screaming with pain. Help arrived quickly and Ocaña was rushed by helicopter to the hospital in St. Gaudens. He recovered from his injuries, but his 1971 Tour dreams had come to an end. The following day Merckx refused to wear the yellow jersey in order to pay tribute to Ocaña. There is now a memorial plaque at the scene of the accident on the eastern side of the Col de Menté (at 42°54′55.9"N 0°44′37.7"E).
See also
- List of highest paved roads in Europe
- List of mountain passes