Col du Petit Ballon

The Col du Petit Ballon (elevation 1,163 m (3,816 ft)) is a mountain pass situated in the Vosges Mountains in the Haut-Rhin department of France, close to the summit of the Petit Ballon mountain (1,272 m (4,173 ft)).

Col du Petit Ballon
Col du Petit Ballon Location of Col du Petit Ballon
Elevation	1,163 m (3,816 ft)[1]
Traversed by	Unnamed road
Location	Haut-Rhin, France
Range	Vosges Mountains
Coordinates	47°59′6″N 7°7′16″E

It was crossed on Stage 10 of the 2014 Tour de France cycle race.[2]

Details of climb

From the north, the climb starts in Munster from where the climb is 11.6 km (7.2 mi) long, gaining 773 m (2,536 ft) in altitude, at an average gradient of 6.7%.[3] The climb proper starts at Luttenbach-près-Munster, where it leaves the D10. From here, the climb is 9.3 km (5.8 mi) long, at an average gradient of 8.1%.[2]

From the north-west, the climb starts at Metzeral, passing through the village of Sondernach, where the route leaves the D10. The total distance is 12.8 km (8.0 mi), gaining 678 m (2,224 ft) in altitude, at an average gradient of 5.3%.[4]

It is also possible to access the col via the D43 from Wihr-au-Val to the north-east from where the climb is 16.0 km (9.9 mi) long, gaining 1,163 m (3,816 ft) in altitude, at an average gradient of 5.3%.[5]

Tour de France

The col was used for the first time on Stage 10 of the 2014 Tour de France, when the leader over the summit was the Spanish rider, Joaquim Rodríguez.[6]

References

1. IGN map
2. "Stage 10: Mulhouse to La Planche des Belles Filles". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 5 July 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
3. "Petit Ballon - Munster". climbbybike. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
4. "Petit Ballon - Metzeral". climbbybike. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
5. "Petit Ballon - Wihr au Val". climbbybike. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
6. "Le Petit Ballon dans le Tour de France" (in French). ledicodutour. Retrieved 9 September 2014.