This little col (1489m) just happens to be between two bigger ones (Tourmalet and Peyresourde) and has acted as the filling in this giant mountain sandwich 66 times in the Tour de France. The way we’ll be doing this climb in the Etape du Tour will be from the village of Sainte Marie de Campan and it will be 12.8km long with a gentle 5% average. This doesn’t mean it’s not going to hurt though, and since it is the 3rd climb of a really long day (nearly 200km) I think we’ll see the mass carnage begin here. Hopefully the handsome cows are out to brighten our spirits.

I am not sure what sort of TdF drama has occurred on the Col d’Aspin because Google hasn’t illuminated me in the last 15 minutes or so of searching. The best I can do is the great Gino Bartali on what might be the Aspin in 1950. How do I get me one of those running water guys, I wonder..?