Plateau de Beille
Les Cabannes, France
The Plateau de Beille is a col with a length of 15.5 kilometer. This is a highest category (HC) col. It is located in Les Cabannes, Midi-Pyrénées, France. The average grade of this col is 7.7% with a maximum of 9.5%. The Plateau de Beille ascents from 572 meter at the start, to 1.780 meter at the top, with a total of 1.208 ascending meters.
Profile
Facts
| Distance | 15.5 km |
| Elevation gain | 1208 m |
| Average grade | 7.7 % |
| Maximum grade | 9.5 % |
| Climb category | HC |
| Minimum elevation | 572 m |
| Maximum elevation | 1780 m |
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Description
Since its discovery by the Tour de France in 1998, the Plateau de Beille has served as stage finish six times (in 1998, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2011 and 2015). The ascent is ranked as hors catégorie in the mountains classification.
On the first four occasions, the stage winner has gone on to win the Tour: Marco Pantani in 1998, Lance Armstrong in 2002 and 2004 (but whose titles were removed from him in October 2012), and Alberto Contador in 2007 who won the Tour de France as a result of the exclusion of the Danish Michael Rasmussen.
It is the Italian climber Marco Pantani who holds the record for the fastest ascent in 43 minutes and 30 seconds in 1998. However, it should be noted that in that year the finish on the Beille Plateau was at 1,747 metres, whereas on all other occasions it was at 1,780 metres.
- Tour de France 2002 - Stage 12