|
 Mountain
and cycling lovers, the Galibier is a myth… It links Maurienne
to the Briançon region, and, more generally, the northern to the
southern Alps.
The road tunnel, too narrow, has been closed since 1976. It will
be reopened as soon as the current roadwork is finished, and will
allow the col to be opened earlier and closed later in season
and will free the final section from coaches and trucks.
At the Col du Télégraphe, a first stop will reveal the panorama
from the fort.
A little history
As many high points in the valley, the col was a relay for the
Chappe Paris-Milan imperial telegraph. Built in 1808, it enabled
on sight communication by signals. The fort today, built between
1885 and 1893, guarded the strategic Galibier road and the military
site in Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne.
 Integrated
into the Route des Grandes Alpes, the road was traced in 1870
and opened to traffic in 1911, the year when the Tour de France
first passed the Galibier col. Émile Georget rode to the top,
setting foot on the road only to sign at a control point and drink
water, admitting that "it's the hardest thing I've done" !… Jacques
Godet said about the col : "It defines the value of a man…"
As a reminder, during the latest tours, the leaders at the top
were Pantani in 98, Arrietta in 99 and Comesso in 2000.
|
)
