Plateau de Beille

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Plateau de Beille

Location	Ariège, Midi-Pyrénées, France
Coordinates	42°43′31.2″N 1°41′27.15″ECoordinates: 42°43′31.2″N 1°41′27.15″E
Top elevation	2,000 m (6,600 ft)
Base elevation	1,650 m (5,410 ft)
Skiable area	70 km (43 mi)
Runs	Black: 2, 21 km (13 mi) Red: 5, 32.3 km (20.1 mi) Blue: 5, 14 km (8.7 mi) Green: 1, 1 km (0.62 mi)
Website	www.beille.fr

Plateau de Beille (Occitan: Plan de Belha) is a ski resort in the Pyrenees. It is situated in the Ariège department, and in the region of the Midi-Pyrénées. The winter sports station lies at a height of 1,790 m (5,870 ft).

For a long time, this plateau was only a place of livestock, especially cattle. It has recently become the site of an important winter sports resort of the Pyrenees, mainly dedicated to the practice of cross-country skiing, with tracks between 1,650 and 2,000 metres (5,410 and 6,560 ft) altitude. The ski station is located between Tarascon-sur-Ariège and Ax-les-Thermes, close to the Spanish border, and above the communes of Les Cabannes, Albiès and Vèbre. Road access to the plateau (the D522) starts from Les Cabannes. Moreover, the Plateau de Beille is a crossing point of the GR 10 hiking trail that crosses the Pyrenees from east to west.

Finally, since 1998, the ascent from Les Cabannes to the plateau is regularly used as the final ascent of a stage in the Tour de France. The Plateau de Beille also has the attribute that all those who have won the stage at its summit subsequently won the Tour in Paris, except in 2011.

Cycling

The Plateau de Beille is a regular place of various races. It was discovered by the Route du Sud in 1995, followed by the Tour de France in 1998, and every other year constitutes the final mountain for the cyclists of the L'Ariégeoise (fr).

Details of climb

Starting point: Les Cabannes at 535 metres (1,755 ft), via Pech
Finish altitude: 1,790 metres (5,870 ft)
Elevation difference: 1,255 metres (4,117 ft)
Length: 15.9 kilometres (9.9 mi)
Slope: 7.9%

Starting from Les Cabannes at 535 m (1,755 ft), the climb to the Plateau de Beille at 1,790 m (5,870 ft) is 15.8 km (9.8 mi) long. Over this distance, the climb is 1,255 m (4,117 ft) at an average gradient of 7.9%. The maximum gradient is 10.8%.^[7]

It is a formidable ascent. The first 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) are generally done under forest canopy and the last 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) are uncovered through the pastures, where cattle sometimes cross the road.^[8]

While the valley roads are virtually flat, as soon as leaving the central square of Les Cabannes, riders face a very steep ramp^[9] to arrive at the height of the Chateaux of Gudanes (fr) (commune of Château-Verdun). During the first kilometres, the tar road surface is smooth but then becomes granular,^[9] which adds to the difficulty. The forest offers very little respite, the slope is high and regular with many hairpins and it is during the 6th kilometre where it is possible to traverse a flat section of about 400 metres (1,300 ft). The percentages are often higher than 8%; the 9th kilometre, preceding Henry IV fountain,^[8] is one of the steepest sections.

After leaving the forest, the percentages are slightly lower but more irregular. At the 12th kilometre, it passes the Cabanne de Pierrefite with a short flat part followed by a difficult break in gradient.^[10] After having crossed a hairpin a little further up the road, the final section offers a moderate slope and the finish takes place at the large car park outside the building of the ski station, at an altitude of 1,790 metres (5,870 ft).

Tour de France

The yellow jersey arriving during the Tour de France 2007

Since its discovery by the Tour de France in 1998, the Plateau de Beille has served as stage finish five times (in 1998, 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2011). The ascent is ranked as hors catégorie in the mountains classification. The Tour de France returned to the Plateau de Beille for stage 12, on 16 July 2015.

On the first four occasions, the stage winner has gone on to win the Tour: Marco Pantani in 1998, Lance Armstrong in 2002 and 2004 (but whose titles were removed from him in October 2012), and Alberto Contador in 2007 who won the Tour de France as a result of the exclusion of the Danish Michael Rasmussen.^[11]^{[better source needed]}

Tour de France stage finishes

^[12]

Year	Stage	Start of stage	Distance (km)	Category of climb	Stage winner	Yellow jersey
2015	12	Lannemezan	195	HC	Joaquim Rodríguez (ESP)	Chris Froome (UK)
2011	14	Saint-Gaudens	168.5	HC	Jelle Vanendert (BEL)	Thomas Voeckler (FRA)
2007	14	Mazamet	170	HC	Alberto Contador (ESP)	Michael Rasmussen (DEN)
2004	13	Lannemezan	205.5	HC	~~Lance Armstrong~~ (USA)	Thomas Voeckler (FRA)
2002	12	Lannemezan	198	HC	~~Lance Armstrong~~ (USA)	~~Lance Armstrong~~ (USA)
1998	11	Bagnères-de-Luchon	170	HC	Marco Pantani (ITA)	Jan Ullrich (GER)