Col du Grand Ballon
Mountain pass in France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Col du Grand Ballon (French pronunciation: [kɔl dy ɡʁɑ̃ balɔ̃]; elevation 1,343 m (4,406 ft)) is a mountain pass situated close to the summit of the Grand Ballon (1,424 m (4,672 ft)) in the Vosges Mountains of France. It connects Cernay (Haut-Rhin) with Le Markstein winter sports station.
| Col du Grand Ballon | |
|---|---|
The col viewed from the slopes of the Grand Ballon | |
| Elevation | 1,343 m (4,406 ft) |
| Traversed by | D431 |
| Location | Vosges, France |
| Range | Vosges Mountains |
| Coordinates | 47°54′17″N 7°6′12″E |
  Col du Grand Ballon Location of Col du Grand Ballon | |
Details of the climbs
There are several different directions from which the Col du Grand Ballon can be climbed:
From Cernay (south-east), the total distance is 23.1 km (14.4 mi) at an average gradient of 4.5%, gaining 1,048 m (3,438 ft) in height. This route follows the Route des Crêtes over the Col de Herrenfluh (835 m (2,740 ft)) after 9.5 km (5.9 mi). After a short descent, the road climbs again to the Col de Silberloch (906 m (2,972 ft)) before descending to the Col Amic (828 m (2,717 ft)). From here, there remain 6.8 km (4.2 mi) at an average of 7.6%. In the forest on this final section, there are two short paved stretches. 3 km (1.9 mi) from the summit, the gradient increases to over 8%.[1]
From Willer-sur-Thur (south), the ascent (via D138) is 16.0 km (9.9 mi) long, climbing 974 m (3,196 ft) at an average of 6.1%. This route joins that from Cernay at the Col Amic.[2]
From the south it is also possible to climb on minor roads from Saint-Amarin or Moosch, both on the N66; these routes join together at Geishouse. Both routes are approximately 12.5 km (7.8 mi) long at an average of over 7%, with a kilometre section near the summit at 12%.[3][4]
From Soultz (east), the route follows a minor road for the first 12.0 km (7.5 mi) at a steady average gradient of 4.6%, before joining the other routes at Col Amic. In total, the climb is 19.0 km (11.8 mi) long, climbing 1,072 m (3,517 ft) at an average of 5.6%.[5]
From Kruth (west), the climb (via D27) is 22.9 km (14.2 mi) long gaining 853 m in height at an average of 3.7%. This climb joins the D431 at Le Markstein.[6]
Tour de France
The Tour de France first crossed over the Col du Grand Ballon in 1969, when the leader over the summit was Lucien Van Impe.[7] It has been crossed on a further six occasions, the most recent in 2014.[8]
| Year | Stage | Category | Start | Finish | Leader at the summit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 9 | 3 | Gérardmer | Mulhouse |  Tony Martin (GER) |
| 2005 | 9 | 2 | Gérardmer | Mulhouse |  Michael Rasmussen (DEN) |
| 1997 | 18 | 2 | Colmar | Montbéliard |  Francesco Casagrande (ITA) |
| 1992 | 11 | 1 | Strasbourg | Mulhouse |  Laurent Fignon (FRA) |
| 1976 | 7 | 3 | Nancy | Mulhouse | Giancarlo Bellini (ITA) |
| 1973 | 5 | 3 | Nancy | Mulhouse | Charly Grosskost (FRA) |
| 1969 | 6 | 3 | Mulhouse | Ballon d'Alsace |  Lucien Van Impe (BEL) |
Tour de France Femmes
The col was crossed on Stage 7 of the 2022 Tour de France Femmes.[9]
| Year | Stage | Category | Start | Finish | Leader at the summit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7 | 1 | Sélestat | Le Markstein Fellering |  Annemiek van Vleuten (NED) |
Amateur cycling
The Col du Grand Ballon is also used by amateur cyclists on the "Trois Ballons" sportive ride held in June (together with the climbs over the Ballon d'Alsace and the Ballon de Servance).[10]
