Col du Petit Ballon
{{Short description|Mountain pass in Haut-Rhin, France}}
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Col du Petit Ballon
| photo =Col du Petit Ballon 68B.JPG
| photo_caption = The summit of the col
| elevation_m = 1163
| elevation_ref = [http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil?c=7.121111,47.985&z=0.000316906&l=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.3D$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS@aggregate(1)&permalink=yes IGN map]
| traversed = Unnamed road
| map = France
| map_caption = Location of Col du Petit Ballon
| map_size =
| label = Col du Petit Ballon
| coords = {{coord|47|59|6|N|7|7|16|E|type:pass_region:FR|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| location = Haut-Rhin, France
| range = Vosges Mountains
| topo =
}}
The Col du Petit Ballon ({{IPA|fr|kɔl dy pəti balɔ̃}}; elevation {{convert|1163|m|ft|abbr=on}}) is a mountain pass in the Vosges Mountains in the Haut-Rhin department of France, close to the summit of the Petit Ballon mountain ({{convert|1272|m|ft|abbr=on}}).
It was crossed on Stage 10 of the 2014 Tour de France cycle race.{{cite web|title=Stage 10: Mulhouse to La Planche des Belles Filles|url=http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2014/us/stage-10.html|work=Tour de France|publisher=Amaury Sport Organisation|accessdate=9 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705085934/http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2014/us/stage-10.html|archive-date=5 July 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}
Details of climb
From the north, the climb starts in Munster from where the climb is {{convert|11.6|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, gaining {{convert|773|m|ft|abbr=on}} in altitude, at an average gradient of 6.7%.{{cite web|title=Petit Ballon - Munster|url=http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Petit-Ballon&qryMountainID=7035 |publisher= climbbybike |accessdate=9 September 2014}} The climb proper starts at Luttenbach-près-Munster, where it leaves the D10. From here, the climb is {{convert|9.3|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, at an average gradient of 8.1%.
From the north-west, the climb starts at Metzeral, passing through the village of Sondernach, where the route leaves the D10. The total distance is {{convert|12.8|km|mi|abbr=on}}, gaining {{convert|678|m|ft|abbr=on}} in altitude, at an average gradient of 5.3%.{{cite web|title=Petit Ballon - Metzeral|url=http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Petit-Ballon&qryMountainID=7034|publisher=climbbybike|accessdate=9 September 2014}}
It is also possible to access the col via the D43 from Wihr-au-Val to the north-east from where the climb is {{convert|16.0|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, gaining {{convert|1163|m|ft|abbr=on}} in altitude, at an average gradient of 5.3%.{{cite web|title=Petit Ballon - Wihr au Val|url=http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Petit-Ballon&qryMountainID=7033|publisher=climbbybike|accessdate=9 September 2014}}
Tour de France
The col was used for the first time on Stage 10 of the 2014 Tour de France, when the leader over the summit was the Spanish rider, Joaquim Rodríguez.{{cite web|title=Le Petit Ballon dans le Tour de France|url=http://www.ledicodutour.com/cols/cols_p/petit_ballon.html|publisher=ledicodutour|accessdate=30 July 2022|language=French}} The col was used again on Stage 20 of the 2023 Tour de France. The leader over the summit was the French rider Thibaut Pinot. During that stage, the top of the climb became known as the "virage pinot" (Pinot's corner). Pinot's fans gathered at the summit to cheer the rider during the last Tour de France mountain stage of his career.{{Cite web |last=Farrand |first=Stephen |date=2023-07-22 |title=Tour de France: Pogacar rebounds to take stage 20 victory as Vingegaard seals his second overall title |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-2023/stage-20/results/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=cyclingnews.com |language=en}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!Year !Stage !Category !Start !Finish !Leader at the summit |
| 2014
|10 |1 |{{Flagathlete|Joaquim Rodríguez|ESP}} |
| 2023
|20 |1 |{{Flagathlete|Thibaut Pinot|FRA}} |
Tour de France Femmes
The col was used on Stage 7 of the 2022 Tour de France Femmes, with Demi Vollering first over the summit.{{Cite web |title=Van Vleuten in her own world - Tour de France Femmes 2022 |url=https://www.letourfemmes.fr/en/news/2022/stage-7/van-vleuten-in-her-own-world/1292895 |access-date=2022-07-30 |website=www.letourfemmes.fr |language=en}}