Ax 3 Domaines
Summit finish — 1,375 m
Show it on the map- Days recorded
- 5Grand Tour days on this road
- Open on the map
- 2stages we hold the route for
- Years covered
- 2001–2013first to most recent
- Approach
- Oneone side on record
The ski station above Ax-les-Thermes, reached by the D 82 Route de Bonascre: 7.8 km at 8.6%, rising 670 m from the valley floor at 705 m to a finish at 1,375 m. It is short by Pyrenean standards, and that is rather the point — four of its five Tour finishes have come straight off the Port de Pailhères, the hors-catégorie pass that has stood above it since 2003, so the plateau tends to reward whoever is left rather than whoever attacks. Only once has it been won by a rider in the fight for yellow — Chris Froome in 2013, taking the jersey on his way to the title; the other four went to riders the favourites could not quite reel in. In 2003 it was where Jan Ullrich, by common consent, let the Tour slip: Lance Armstrong cracked on its lower ramps and Ullrich, sitting on his wheel, never attacked.
The climb
The climb, from the foot.
The record
Raced here
2 of 5 open on the mapEvery Grand Tour day recorded on this road, newest first. The ones we hold the route for open on the map with that stage selected; the rest are the archive’s own account, most of them from before route data existed.
- 2013
Tour de France · Stage 8
Won by Chris Froome
- 2010
Tour de France · Stage 14
Won by Christophe Riblon
- 2005
Stage 14 · Agde → Ax-3 Domaines
Won by Georg Totschnig (AUT)
Georg Totschnig broke up the day's escape on the Port de Pailhères, dropped Stefano Garzelli and Walter Bénéteau, and was the only one of them the favourites could not reel in, winning by 56 seconds. It was the only Grand Tour stage win of his career and made him the first Austrian to win a Tour stage. Armstrong, in yellow, came in second ahead of Ivan Basso — a placing later voided with the rest of his results.
- 2003
Stage 13 · Toulouse → Plateau de Bonascre
Won by Carlos Sastre (ESP)
A ten-man break went clear and broke up on the Port de Pailhères; Carlos Sastre survived it and won alone, putting his infant daughter's pacifier in his mouth as he crossed the line. Behind, Armstrong — still suffering the dehydration that had cost him the time trial the day before — was dropped on the lower slopes of the Bonascre. Ullrich caught him and finished second but never attacked, taking only seven seconds plus his time bonus, which cut Armstrong's overall lead to 15. It is widely held to be the day Ullrich should have won the Tour.
- 2001
Stage 12 · Perpignan → Plateau de Bonascre
Won by Félix Cárdenas (COL)
The plateau's Tour debut, the first of three days in the Pyrenees. Paolo Bettini had been away almost all day, alone at the end, but was caught on the final climb by two better climbers, David Etxebarria and Félix Cárdenas; Cárdenas then dropped Etxebarria and held on to win by 13 seconds from Roberto Laiseka. Behind them Armstrong got away from Ullrich but could not reach the leaders, finishing third at 15 seconds — a result later voided. François Simon kept the yellow jersey he had taken at Alpe d'Huez despite losing another four minutes; he lost it the next day at Pla d'Adet. Christophe Moreau abandoned, probably food-poisoned.
Elsewhere in the Pyrenees
No Grand Tour day on record has taken this road and another of the atlas's famous climbs. These are its nearest neighbours.