Puy de Dôme - Clermont Ferrand
Puy de Dôme
| Puy de Dôme | |
|---|---|
General view
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,465 m (4,806 ft) [1] |
| Coordinates | 45°46′19.2″N 02°57′44.64″ECoordinates: 45°46′19.2″N 02°57′44.64″E |
| Geography | |
 Puy de Dôme
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| Location | Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne, France |
| Parent range | Chaîne des Puys region of Massif Central |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Lava dome |
| Last eruption | ca 10,700 years ago[2] |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | Unknown |
| Easiest route | road |
Puy de Dôme (French pronunciation: [pɥi də dom]; Occitan: Puèi Domat, Puèi de Doma) is a large lava dome and one of the youngest volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys region of Massif Central in south-central France. This chain of volcanoes including numerous cinder cones, lava domes, and maars is far from the edge of any tectonic plate. Puy de Dôme is approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) from Clermont-Ferrand. The Puy-de-Dôme département (with hyphens) is named after the volcano.
Cycling
In more recent times, Puy de Dôme has served as an occasional stage finish in the Tour de France. It was here that in 1964 Raymond Poulidor battled with Jacques Anquetil in one of the race's most famous moments, racing side by side up almost the entire climb; and that in 1975 Eddy Merckx was punched in the kidney by a spectator. According to Jean-François Pescheux, since the construction of a rack railway, and because of the very narrow road, the Tour will never come back to the Puy de Dôme, its last ascension in the race being in 1988.[4]
The road is only open for cyclists during very limited periods (when other vehicles are prohibited). In 2006 this was 7–9am on Wednesdays and Sundays between 1 May and 30 September.[5] In 2016, it will be the first checkpoint in the Transcontinental Race, which is a non-stop, unsupported bicycle race across Europe.[6]
