- Col de la Croix de Fer
-
- For other places sharing the name 'Pass of the cross' please see Col de la Croix (disambiguation)
Col de la Croix de Fer 
The cross at Col de la Croix de FerElevation 2,067 m (6,781 ft) Traversed by D 926 Location Col de la Croix de Fer
Col de la Croix de FerLocation Savoie, 
FranceRange Dauphiné Alps Coordinates 45°13′40″N 06°12′13.5″E / 45.22778°N 6.20375°ECoordinates: 45°13′40″N 06°12′13.5″E / 45.22778°N 6.20375°E Col de la Croix de Fer (English: Pass of the Iron Cross) (el. 2067 m.) is a high mountain pass in the French Alps linking Le Bourg-d'Oisans and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.
Contents
Details of climb
The approach from the northeast from Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is 29.5 km at an average gradient of 5.5% with some sections at 9.5%, and the one from the southwest from Rochetaillée 31.5 km at an average gradient of 5.75% with short sections in excess of 11%. When coming from Rochetaillée, the road forks 2.5 km before the summit, leading to the Col du Glandon. There is also an approach from the north from La Chambre via Col du Glandon which is the hardest: 22.7 km at an average gradient of 7.0% (this road was recently used at the 2006 Tour de France).
Tour de France
The pass has featured in the Tour de France fifteen times since it was first passed in the 1947 tour when the race was led over the summit by Fermo Camellini. In 2008 the Tour de France visited the mountain again, approaching from the east via Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne on the 210.5 km seventeenth stage from Embrun to Alpe d'Huez.[1]
Appearances in Tour de France
Tour de France at the Col de la Croix de Fer, 2006
Year Stage Category Start Finish Leader at the summit 2008 17 HC Embrun Alpe d'Huez Peter Velits 2006 16 HC Le Bourg-d'Oisans La Toussuire Michael Rasmussen 1999 10 HC Sestrières Alpe d'Huez Stéphane Heulot 1998 15 HC Grenoble Les Deux Alpes Rodolfo Massi 1995 10 HC Aime–La Plagne Alpe d'Huez Richard Virenque 1992 14 HC Sestrières Alpe d'Huez Eric Boyer 1989 17 HC Briançon Alpe d'Huez Gert-Jan Theunisse 1986 18 1 Briançon–Serre Chevalier Alpe d'Huez Bernard Hinault 1966 16 1 Bourg-d'Oisans Briançon Joaquim Galera 1963 16 1 Grenoble Val-d'Isère Federico Bahamontes 1961 10 1 Grenoble Turin Guy Ignolin 1956 18 1 Turin Grenoble René Marigil 1952 11 1 Bourg-d'Oisans Sestrières Fausto Coppi 1948 14 1 Briançon Aix-les-Bains Gino Bartali 1947 8 1 Grenoble Briançon Fermo Camellini See also
- List of highest paved roads in Europe
- List of mountain passes
References
- ^ "Stage 17 route map and profile". www.letour.fr. http://www.letour.fr/2008/TDF/LIVE/us/1700/etape_par_etape.html. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
External links
Categories:- Savoie
- Mountain passes of France
- Mountain passes of the Alps
- Climbs in cycle racing
- 2008 Tour de France
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
