Only fully paved in the early 2000s, Port de Balès quickly became a Tour de France fixture, remembered for one of the most talked-about episodes in the race’s recent history.
A long climb from Luchon
From Bagnères-de-Luchon, it’s 19.1 km for 1,177 m of elevation gain, averaging 6.2% with steeper sections around 9-10% in the final third. The road passes through hamlets before opening onto exposed high pasture up to the pass.
The memory of the 2010 Chaingate
The pass remains linked to Alberto Contador’s attack on Andy Schleck in 2010, launched just as Schleck’s chain had dropped, an episode still remembered in Tour de France history as “Chaingate”.
Getting the ride right
The climb’s length and its largely unshaded second half call for careful hydration management. A compact or triple crankset makes the steepest sections easier to handle without tiring the legs too early.
When to go
June to September — the pass tops out at 1,755 m and can stay closed by snow into late spring depending on the year.
Good to know
The pass links directly with Col de Peyresourde on its eastern side for riders after a longer outing, both climbs sharing the same starting point in Bagnères-de-Luchon.
