Prepare for your journey with our interactive map below. In the 25+ years I’ve been in the bike tour biz, both in France and in the last 15 almost exclusively in Italy, I can’t count the number of times a client has wished he or she (it’s mostly the he’s) had mounted lower gears while NOBODY has ever told me they regretted fitting them.It’s often people thinking what they can get away with rather than thinking what’s appropriate or comfortable. The Col de Marie Blanque is one of the more famous cycling climbs in this part of the Pyrenees. Temps depuis Bielle. Montée faite au mois de mars avec donc pas mal de neige au sommet. Col beaucoup plus facile que son grand voisin, l'Aubisque. Il y a quand meme 4 ou 5 km assez difficile après Bielle mais ils sont assez régulier et après on arrive sur un plateau, donc la route devient quasiment plate. Il reste ensuite un dernier kilometre …
Granted, this one’s “only” 3 kms @ +10%, but with modern drivetrains and 10 or 11 cogs in the back and compact setups in front, it’s a no-brainer. Alas, as I was one of the late starters, I was constrained to walk the last kilo; the traffic jam was impassable, we just heard “bouchon” and have to climb off our bikes.Putting on enough gears for this climb could be expensive. Plus many have yet to experience a climb that lasts for 20, 30 or even 90 minutes, the effort is very different.I think it’s simple! If the Pyrenees were the start of high altitude racing this one is a relative newcomer to the race with its first inclusion in 1978 and it wasn’t used again until 1986. We tend to believe that age is not something that we need to be concerned with.I think there is also a lot of macho ‘tough guy’ attitude around gearing. Explore the route with streetviews, photos,videos, weather reports as well as browse other routes in the area. Friebe and Goding, The eastern approach to the col from Beille (population 528) is the easiest by far at 11.1 kilometers/5.1% versus from Escot at 9.2 kilometers/7.7%.The col first appeared in the Tour de France in 1978 when it dashed the repeat hopes of 1977 Tour champion Bernard Thevent:“Tour de France: the race has passed 14 times. What I remembered most was the lack of hairpins. Prepare for your journey by reviewing the gradient profile. A toughie for sure!I was in the same year as well. Plateau du Bénou – Col de Marie-Blanque Loop from Bielle is an expert road ride.
The climb from Bielle is quite gentle and includes several plateaus, which offer the most spectacular and enjoyable views on the climb. Thankfully only lost a bit of skin, another bit of my bibs and a good portion of my confidence. I climbed the Marie Blanque as part of the Quebrantahuesos in 2010 but never saw the climb due to the freezing cold torrential rains we had all day. Overall Leaderboard. Delivering papers is much cheaper.That’s one of the more popular excuses.
Probably rate it as harder than the ‘big’ climbs, due to it’s steepness & the fact you can’t really ever see the summit, there’s absolutely no respite.Climbed this one in the 2005 Etape. On the climb there was total silence, only the clack of cycling shoes as hundreds of people walked up.I had a good start and made an effort early on in order to avoid the crowd on the way up Marie Blanc. In the end, as someone else pointed out, it’s mostly VANITY. Col de Marie-Blanque (elevation 1,035 m (3,396 ft)) is a mountain pass in the western Pyrenees in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques in France.The pass is situated south-east of Oloron-Sainte-Marie and connects the valleys of the Aspe and the Ossau rivers. Thanks for the pictures. A scenic road borrowed many times by the Tour de France, the Col de Marie Blanque will often tempt many cyclists visiting the Pyrenees. Just look at how triple chainrings are looked down upon, or hwo climbs are said to be easy by stating ‘you can do this in the big ring’.I am using tripple with 25 in the back and I next to the bar everyone is joking, come a serious climb and it is me who is joking As some pros said during Vuelta – for today I pick compact AND 28cog. But there’s a difference: it’s much steeper than your average Pyrenean pass, a fact that’s ruined the day for tourists and … Highest Elev 1,024m. I always find it easier ton climbs with hairpins as you can mentally break the climb down into segments. I just smile when I hear the talk about long cage rear mechs shifting “slower”, as if (even if it were true) it really made a difference if a shift took 1/4 of a second longer. Finished in a little over 7hr, the Tourmalet was toooough but all 3 climbs that day were awesome and I would love to do it again someday.
Now I know what I missed!You are correct Dominic.