Stage 15 of this year’s Tour de France sees a return to the daunting Port de Balês, which was included for the first ever time in 2007.

For many years the Port de Balês was passable only by forest tracks, or later, in the 1990s by 4×4 over a deteriorating surface. The road was specifically resurfaced during the summer of 2006, partly at the instigation of the Tour de France organisers, who were looking for new challenges for the route. The 2007 Tour de France crossed the col for the first time on stage 15 (on 23 July). (via wikipedia)

Climbybike describes it as 6.3% average, which doesn’t sound too bad, but 18.87km long and 1200m of ascent puts it in perspective- it’s a biggie. It’s described in detail on the Rapha blog, for the 2007 Etape du Tour.

The Port de Balês featured on the first and only Tour de France stage I have seen live, back in 2007, which went from Foix to Loudenvielle, taking in four cols. I wasn’t a big cycling fan then, so it will be good to return and see more racing with a more informed head. I will be heading for the climb, rather than one of the villages in between the cols, where the peloton whizzes past in a flash of colour. Image below was taken in St-Béat, 2007. Rasmussen in yellow days before he got the boot.