Jacques Anquetil was a one off. He had his own ideas about what was good for him. There are two rest days during the Tour de France and wisdom is that riders have to ride their bikes on them, otherwise they seize up. One of the 1964 Tour rest days was in Andorra and while his rivals dutifully rode their bikes then rested, Anquetil went to a party. “Let the others ride on their holidays,” he said as he dug into the barbeque and knocked back a few glasses of champagne. Next day the stage started with the Port d’Envalira and immediately Anquetil was in trouble. He was left behind and in a very bad way. A team mate rallied him, and on the descent they chased like lunatics. In front of him the favourites raced away because they thought they’d got rid of Anquetil. It took him 140 kilometres to catch them, but catch them he did and he even managed to gain time on some of his rivals.
Mist rolling over the Envalira
The Pas de la Casa
Guzet-Neige
‘MILLAR’S MASTERPIECE’
2 STARS
Length: 11.5 km
Altitude: 1520 metres
Height gain: 818 metres
Average gradient: 7%
Maximum gradient: 10%
WHAT TO EXPECT
Constant climbing. Once you leave the Ustou valley there is no respite, and with plenty of gradient changes you gear shifters will get a lot of use.
Climbing warm-up. The road from Oust to the start of the Guzet-Neige climbs slowly, rising about 600 metres in 12 kilometres. It is well worth doing as a warm-up and for the beauty of the countryside that surrounds it.
Circuit training. Once you’ve completed Guzet-Neige, why not do the Col de Latrape? Go back down to the D8–D68 junction and turn right onto the D8. You then descend for a bit, before a short climb takes you over the Col de Latrape. You can then go down and up that climb to tick it off, or just descend and continue on to Oust for a nice mountain circuit of 60 kilometres. Or you could do both.
This is a climb to a winter sports resort called Guzet-Neige that is located at the base of the Pic de Freychet (2061 metres) about 43 kilometres southeast of St Girons. The approach to it is a particularly beautiful bike ride along the Gorges de Ribaouto to the small town of Oust.
Guzet-Neige can be reached in two ways from Oust: up the Garbet valley and over the Col de Latrape, or by following the river Alet, which is the most direct way and the way that the Tour de France climbs to Guzet-Neige.
The climb starts in the Ustou valley at a place called Le Trein d’Ustou. You cross a small bridge and leave the valley by a series of lacets that start at Serac. This bit is quite hard, so that is another reason why a nice ride along the valley before you begin the climb is a good idea. It will ensure that you are fully warmed up.
The road then straightens, dips into and out of the forest that covers much of the lower part of the climb, and the gradient eases slightly up to where the road from the Col de Latrape joins it at a very tight hairpin bend. From there the gradient steepens again and a couple of lacets take you up to the steepest pitch of the climb, which comes just before you enter Guzet-Neige and start to see the ski lifts.
The climb isn’t over yet as the last part through the streets of the ski resort is still hard. It’s a nice resort, a place of tasteful, well-made chalets that are dotted amid the pines. It all blends together quite naturally.
At the top of the climb you can ride a bit further on a road that branches to the right and goes to the Col d’Escot. There you get good views of the mountains that form a circle around the resort, including in the far distance, and to the southeast, the Estats (3144 metres) and Montcalm (3077 metres), the two highest peaks of the Ariège.
WHICH WAY?
St Girons on the northern edge of the Pyrenees is the nearest big town to Guzet-Neige. Take the D618 south out of St Girons, then turn right onto the D3 to Oust. In Oust continue on the D3 (Guzet-Neige is also signposted in Oust on the D32, but that takes you over the Col de Latrape first). At the Pont de la Taule turn left onto the D8. At the Col de Latrape junction follow the D68 to the summit.
The British rider Robert Millar was the first Tourman to the top of Guzet-Neige when it was introduced to the race in 1984. He won the stage by leaving his companions in a breakaway group on the slopes of the climb. That day he also put on the polka-dot jersey of the King of the Mountains, a title he won when the race finished in Paris, where Millar was fourth overall. That was the highest overall placing by a British rider in the Tour de France until Bradley Wiggins won the race in 2012. Millar also won a Tour stage in 1983, and he finished second in the Tours of Spain and Italy, as well as winning the Italian Tour’s mountains title.
Towards Guzet-Neige from the Col de la Core
The Spanish border mountains
Col de Menté
‘OCANA’S DOWNFALL’
3 STARS
Length: 10.9 km
Altitude: 1349 metres
Height gain: 716 metres
Average gradient: 6.6%
Maximum gradient: 11%
WHAT TO EXPECT
Peace and quiet. With not many population centres near it and even fewer people needing to use it the Col de Menté is a haven of peace for cyclists.
Memorials. At the top of the climb there is a memorial to a local Tour de France rider from the 1970s, Serge Lapebie. Serge was from a cycling family. His father Guy was an Olympic gold medallist on the track and his uncle Roger won the 1937 Tour de France. On the descent you will also find a memorial to Luis Ocana on the spot where he crashed in 1971.
Full Menté. For an extra challenge follow the D85 before switching to the D44 and going for the top of the Menté. This road takes you over the Col d’Artigastou,
