Luz Ardiden
Luz Saint Sauveur, France
The Luz Ardiden is a col with a length of 13.3 kilometer. This is a highest category (HC) col. It is located in Luz Saint Sauveur, Midi-Pyrénées, France. The average grade of this col is 7.3% with a maximum of 9.4%. The Luz Ardiden ascents from 714 meter at the start, to 1.694 meter at the top, with a total of 981 ascending meters.
Profile
Facts
| Distance | 13.3 km |
| Elevation gain | 981 m |
| Average grade | 7.3 % |
| Maximum grade | 9.4 % |
| Climb category | HC |
| Minimum elevation | 714 m |
| Maximum elevation | 1694 m |
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Description
Luz Ardiden is a ski resort at an elevation of 1.720m located in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, in the Midi-Pyrénées. The road to the station, which was opened on 1975 is asphalted. It’s a collection of hairpins with a steep slope.
It has been climbed by the Tour de France and Vuelta a España.
The Tour finishes frequently in Luz Ardiden. Since the first time in the Tour in 1985, it has been a coveted victory, all the more so because in 1985 Bernard Hinault had to fight a tough battle to keep his yellow jersey. That day Pedro Delgado won on top of this mountain.
In 1988 Pedro Delgado had to defend his yellow jersey himself, and he did so by definitely eliminating Steven Rooks and Fabio Parra.
In 1990 it was Claudio Chiappucci who experienced purgatory, also with the yellow jersey on his shoulders. After an attack by Greg LeMond, he had only 5 seconds left in the general classification. Miguel Indurain won his second mountain stage of his career that day, a victory that announced undivided domination of the Tour for the next 5 years.
Four years later, it was in Luz-Ardiden that Richard Virenque's time as mountain king began, with a first stage victory, where he gained his reputation as a climber in 1994.
During the 2003 Tour de France, Lance Armstrong was riding with Iban Mayo at the start of the climb to Luz Ardiden when Armstrong crashed, bringing Mayo down with him. The fall was caused when Armstrong caught the handlebar of his bike on the strap of a spectator's bag. Jan Ulrich, who was riding just behind Armstrong and Mayo, avoided the crash, and in an act of chivalry, he slowed to wait for the fallen riders.
- Tour de France 1985 - Stage 17
- Tour de France 1987 - Stage 14
- Tour de France 1988 - Stage 15
- Tour de France 1990 - Stage 16
- Vuelta a Espana 1992 - Stage 9
- Tour de France 1994 - Stage 12
- Vuelta a Espana 1995 - Stage 17
- Tour de France 2001 - Stage 14
- Tour de France 2003 - Stage 14
- Tour de France 2011 - Stage 12