Alpe d'Huez

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Alpe d'Huez is a mountain at Template:Coor dm in the Central French Alps, located on the territory of the commune of Huez, in the Isère département. Alpe d'Huez is also a famous ski resort 1850 metres (6,069 ft) high.

1 Tour de France
- 1.1 Winners of the Alpe d'Huez stage at Tour de France
- 1.2 Fastest Alpe d'Huez ascents
2 External links

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Tour de France

Image:Alpe-dhuez-arrivee-tour.jpg

It is one of the most famous of the mountain climbs on the Tour de France. While the route varies from year to year, l'Alpe d'Huez has hosted a stage finish almost every year since 1976. The Tour de France first finished a stage on l'Alpe d'Huez in 1952. That stage was won by the Italian cyclist Fausto Coppi.

The climb up Alpe d'Huez is 14km at an average gradient of 8% with 21 hairpin bends marked with panels honouring the winners of each stage that has finished there. Having finished there for the 22nd time in 2002 the authorities have had to start again at the bottom with a double panel honouring Fausto Coppi and Lance Armstrong.

As the most legandary climb in recent Tour history, the Alpe has been the scene of chaotic crowds in the past 10 years. In 1999 Giuseppe Guerini won the stage despite being knocked off his bike by an over-enthusiastic spectator who stepped into his path to take a photograph (the photographer sought out Guerini later to apologize.) The 2004 Tour de France route featured an individual time trial up Alpe d'Huez, which became a chaotic scene crowded with nearly a million fans, some of whom could not resist pushing their favorite rider toward the top. Lance Armstrong won the stage, but his time was one second slower than the record set by the late, great Marco Pantani of 37 minutes, 35 seconds.

The peak also serves as the finish of La Marmotte - a one-day, 175km cyclosportive ride with well over 5000m of climbing. It is also used for downhill, or Alpine skiing.

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Winners of the Alpe d'Huez stage at Tour de France

Year	Name	Country
2004	Lance Armstrong	Template:USA
2003	Iban Mayo	Template:ESP
2001	Lance Armstrong	Template:USA
1999	Giuseppe Guerini	Template:ITA
1997	Marco Pantani	Template:ITA
1995	Marco Pantani	Template:ITA
1994	Roberto Conti	Template:ITA
1992	Andrew Hampsten	Template:USA
1991	Gianni Bugno	Template:ITA
1990	Gianni Bugno	Template:ITA
1989	Gert-Jan Theunisse	Template:NED
1988	Stephen Rooks	Template:NED
1987	Federico Echave	Template:ESP
1986	Bernard Hinault	Template:FRA
1984	Luis Herrera	Template:COL
1983	Peter Winnen	Template:NED
1982	Beat Breu	Template:SUI
1981	Peter Winnen	Template:NED
1979*	Joop Zoetemelk	Template:NED
1979*	Joaquim Agostinho	Template:POR
1978	Hennie Kuiper	Template:NED
1977	Hennie Kuiper	Template:NED
1976	Joop Zoetemelk	Template:NED
1952	Fausto Coppi	Template:ITA

*In the 1979 Tour de France, there were two stages at l'Alpe d'Huez.

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Fastest Alpe d'Huez ascents

Rank	Time	Name	Year	Country
1	36' 50"	Marco Pantani	1995	Template:ITA
2	36' 55"	Marco Pantani	1997	Template:ITA
3	37' 15"	Marco Pantani	1994	Template:ITA
4	37' 36"	Lance Armstrong	2004	Template:USA
5	37' 40"	Jan Ullrich	1997	Template:DEU
6	38' 05"	Lance Armstrong	2001	Template:USA
7	38' 10"	Miguel Induráin	1995	Template:ESP
8	38' 10"	Alex Zülle	1995	Template:SUI
9	38' 15"	Bjarne Riis	1995	Template:DEN
10	38' 20"	Richard Virenque	1997	Template:FRA