Col du Tourmalet from Luz Saint Sauveur via Voie Laurent Fignon

The Giant of the Pyrénées

The Col du Tourmalet is the most-crossed pass in Tour de France history. First included in 1910, when Octave Lapize famously cursed the organisers as "murderers" at the summit, it has witnessed more than 80 stage finishes and summit passages since.

The Climb

Starting from Luz-Saint-Sauveur, the D918 winds upward through Barèges — a spa town that serves as the last outpost of civilisation before the road tilts skyward. The gradient is honest from the start: 7-8% through the valley, steepening as the treeline thins.

The 14 hairpins are spread fairly evenly across the 18.3km, each one bringing you closer to the vast, empty summit where the statue of the cyclist — the Géant du Tourmalet — stands sentinel against the wind.

Practical Tips

The gradient eases briefly at km 8 near the ski station of La Mongie. Use this to recover — the final 3km to the summit kick to 10%+ and there's nowhere to hide. Water is available from a fountain in Barèges at km 6.5. Park in the centre of Luz-Saint-Sauveur where there is free parking.

The road is typically open from mid-May to late October. Summit conditions can be unpredictable — afternoon storms are common in summer, and the temperature at 2,115m is always significantly lower than the valley.