Col du Portillon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Col du Portillon
Col du Portillon : Spanish frontier post (1965)
Elevation	1,293 m (4,242 ft)
Traversed by	D618A / N-141
Location	Haute Garonne, France Lleida, Spain
Range	Pyrenees
Coordinates	42°46′9″N 0°39′36″E / 42.76917°N 0.66000°E / 42.76917; 0.66000
Col du Portillon Location in Pyrenees

The Col du Portillon (pronounced "Cole doo Por-tee-yon") is a mountain pass located high up in the Pyrenees mountains. It sits right on the border between France and Spain. This pass connects the town of Bagnères-de-Luchon in France with Bossòst in Spain's Val d'Aran region. It's like a special road that helps people travel between these two countries through the mountains. It's about 1,293 metres (4,242 ft) (around 4,242 feet) above sea level!

Cycling the Col du Portillon

This mountain pass is a popular challenge for cyclists, especially those who love climbing. There are two main ways to cycle up the Col du Portillon:

Climbing from Spain (Bossòst side)

If you start cycling from the town of Bossòst in Spain, the climb is about 8.6 km (5.3 mi) (5.3 miles) long. During this climb, you'll go up 583 m (1,913 ft) (1,913 feet) in height. The average steepness (called gradient) is 6.8%. The hardest part of this climb is about 3 km (2 mi) from the top, where the road gets as steep as 8.2%.

Climbing from France (Bagnères-de-Luchon side)

Starting from Bagnères-de-Luchon in France, the climb is a bit longer, at 10.2 km (6.3 mi) (6.3 miles). You'll gain 663 m (2,175 ft) (2,175 feet) in height on this side. The average steepness is 6.5%. The last 7.9 km (4.9 mi) (4.9 miles) of this climb is quite tough, with an average steepness of 8.4%. The steepest part on this side is very challenging, reaching a gradient of 13.9%!

Col du Portillon in the Tour de France

The Col du Portillon is famous because it has been part of the Tour de France many times. The Tour de France is a huge, multi-stage bicycle race held mainly in France each July. Cyclists from all over the world compete. Climbing mountain passes like the Col du Portillon is one of the biggest challenges in the race.

The Col du Portillon was first included in the Tour de France way back in 1957. Since then, cyclists have raced over it 20 times! The most recent time was in 2018, when Adam Yates was the first rider to reach the top of the pass.

Here's a list of when the Tour de France has crossed the Col du Portillon and who was leading at the summit:

Year	Stage	Category	Start	Finish	Leader at the summit
2018	16	1	Carcassonne	Bagnères de Luchon	Adam Yates (GBR)
2014	17	1	Saint-Gaudens	Pla d'Adet	Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP)
2006	11	1	Tarbes	Pla-de-Beret	David de la Fuente (ESP)
2005	15	1	Lézat-sur-Lèze	Pla d'Adet	Karsten Kroon (NED)
2003	14	1	Saint-Girons	Loudenvielle	Richard Virenque (FRA)
2001	13	1	Foix	Pla d'Adet	Laurent Jalabert (FRA)
1999	15	1	Saint-Gaudens	Piau-Engaly	Kurt Van De Wouwer (BEL)
1993	16	2	Andorra	Pla d'Adet	Tony Rominger (SUI)
1979	1	1	Fleurance	Bagnères de Luchon	Jean-René Bernaudeau (FRA)
1976	14	2	Saint-Gaudens	Pla d'Adet	Pedro Torres (ESP)
1974	16	2	Seo de Urgel	Pla d'Adet	Domingo Perurena (ESP)
1973	13	1	Bourg-Madame	Bagnères de Luchon	Luis Ocaña (ESP)
1971	14	2	Revel	Bagnères de Luchon	José Manuel Fuente (ESP)
1969	16	2	Castelnaudary	Bagnères de Luchon	Raymond Delisle (FRA)
1967	16	2	Toulouse	Bagnères de Luchon	Fernando Manzanèque (ESP)
1966	11	1	Pau	Bagnères de Luchon	Marcello Mugnaini (ITA)
1964	15	2	Toulouse	Bagnères de Luchon	Raymond Poulidor (FRA)
1963	11	2	Bagnères-de-Bigorre	Bagnères de Luchon	Guy Ignolin (FRA)
1961	16	2	Toulouse	Superbagnères	Imerio Massignan (ITA)
1957	17	2	Ax-les-Thermes	Saint-Gaudens	Désiré Keteleer (BEL)

See also

In Spanish: Puerto del Portillón (Pirineos) para niños