Pas de Peyrol

Pas de Peyrol
Pas de Peyrol looking north from Puy Mary
Elevation	1,589 m (5,213 ft)
Traversed by	D17/D680
Location
Pas de Peyrol Location of Pas de Peyrol
Location	Cantal,  France
Range	Massif Central
Coordinates	45°06′50″N 02°40′19″E / 45.11389°N 2.67194°E / 45.11389; 2.67194Coordinates: 45°06′50″N 02°40′19″E / 45.11389°N 2.67194°E / 45.11389; 2.67194

Pas de Peyrol (el. 1,589 m) is a mountain pass located in Auvergne, France, and is the highest road pass in the Massif Central. The pass is on the slopes of Puy Mary (1,787 m) and is situated at the junction of three roads:

• D17 to the south-west towards Aurillac, via the Col de Redondet (1,531 m), then down the valley of the River Jordanne.
• D680 to the north-west towards Salers
• D680 to the east, towards Dienne, down the valley of the River Santoire

Tour de France

The pass is regularly used on the Tour de France, most recently on stage 9 of the 2011 tour. The pass was first used in the 1959 Tour de France, on the 231 km stage 14 from Aurillac to Clermont Ferrand, with Louis Bergaud first across the summit. In the 2004 tour, the pass was used on stage 10 from Limoges to Saint-Flour, approaching from the Salers direction which includes a final three kilometres at an average of 12% and a maximum gradient of 15%, with Richard Virenque first over the summit.

Appearances in the Tour de France

The Tour de France has crossed the summit 9 times since 1947, including on stage 9 of the 2011 tour. The 10th stage was selected for the 2004 L'Étape du Tour, in which amateur and club riders ride over a full stage of the tour.

Year	Stage	Category	Start	Finish	Leader at the summit
2011	9	2	Issoire	St Flour	Thomas Voeckler
2008	7	2	Brioude	Aurillac	David de la Fuente
2004	10	1	Limoges	St. Flour	Richard Virenque
1985	15	2	Saint-Étienne	Aurillac	Eduardo Chozas
1983	14	2	Aurillac	Issoire	Lucien Van Impe
1975	14	3	Aurillac	Puy-de-Dôme	Lucien Van Impe
1968	17	3	Aurillac	Saint-Étienne	Aurelio Gonzalez
1963	14	3	Aurillac	Saint-Étienne	Federico Bahamontes
1959	14	2	Aurillac	Clermont-Ferrand	Louis Bergaud

See also

• List of highest paved roads in Europe
• List of mountain passes

External links

• Le Pas-de-peyrol (Puy-Mary) dans le Tour de France (French)
• Climb profile from Dienne (2008 Tour de France route)