Col_de_la_Croix_de_Fer
Col de la Croix de Fer
Mountain pass in the French Alps
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.
| Col de la Croix de Fer | |
|---|---|
The cross at Col de la Croix de Fer | |
| Elevation | 2,067 m (6,781 ft) |
| Traversed by | D 926 |
| Location | Savoie, France |
| Range | Dauphiné Alps |
| Coordinates | 45°13′39″N 06°12′12″E |
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 is the route used for the 2012 Tour de France).
The pass has featured in the Tour de France twenty one times since it was first passed in the 1947 tour when the race was led over the summit by Fermo Camellini. It was crossed on Stage 11 of the 2012 race, between Albertville and La Toussuire-Les Sybelles.[1] In the 2015 race it was passed twice in the two finale mountain stages stage 19 between Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to La Toussuire – Les Sybelles, and from the other side in stage 20 between Modane to Alpe d'Huez. The route for stage 20 was changed in June 2015 caused by a landslide in April so Col de la Croix de Fer substitutes both Col du Télégraphe and Col du Galibier.[2][3][4]
Appearances in Tour de France
- "Stage 11: Albertville – La Toussuire – Les Sybelles". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 24 June 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
- "Stage 19: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to La Toussuire — Les Sybelles". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
- "Stage 20: Modane to Alpe d'Huez". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
- "Stage 20 : Modane — L'Alpe d'Huez... via the Croix de Fer". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
- Map and details of 5 Cycling Routes Up to Col)
- Information from Grenoble Cycling Pages (profiles from both directions) Archived 2009-01-30 at the Wayback Machine
- Cycling the Col de la Croix der Fer from Bourg d'Oisans Archived 2009-11-29 at the Wayback Machine
- Profile on climbbybike.com
- Croix de Fer cycling. Profiles and pictures (in French)
- Le col de la Croix-de-Fer dans le Tour de France (in French)
- Tour de France details (in French)
- Col de la Croix de Fer on Google Maps (Tour de France classic climbs)
- Cycling up to the Col de la Croix de Fer: data, profile, map, photos and description