The Col d’Aubisque is, along with the Col du Tourmalet, one of the must-ride climbs in the Pyrenees.

The Aubisque was part of a brutal 326km stage in the 1910 Tour de France in which eventual winner Octave Lapize famously called Tour officials “assassins” on the Col du Tourmalet. That was the Col d’Aubisque’s first appearance in the Tour de France, and, fast forward to 2014, it is the second most-visited climb in the history of the race after the Tourmalet.

Riders approaching from the east must first ascend the Col du Soulor, before a short descent and the final 8km to the summit at 1,710m, for a combined climb of 30km at 4.1 per cent. Climb from the west, however, and the average gradient ramps up to 7 per cent over the course of 16.8km.

Vital statistics

Length: 16.8km
Average gradient: seven per cent
Start elevation: 531m
End elevation: 1,699m