Plateau de Beille

The Plateau de Beille is bounded by two tributaries of the Ariège Valley, these being the to the west, and the Labail stream to the east. The plateau ends at the south by the Col de Finestres at where it passes the GR 10; to the north, the slope falls steeply to the Ariège Valley. If one considers the whole delimited area, it has benches with an altitude approximately between , on an area of about . Geology The substrate of the plateau is essentially composed of gneiss (gneiss of Riète or Aston), i.e. a granite metamorphosed by plutonic lifts. Formed during the Cenozoic, it suffered a first uprising during the formation of the Pyrenees about 40 to 50 million years ago, various levels between 25 million years and 10 million years ago, then a new uprising. In the Quaternary, its perimeter was determined by deep glacial valleys. Flora and fauna The Plateau de Beille is a Zone naturelle d'intérêt écologique, faunistique et floristique [Natural Zone of Ecological Interest, Fauna and Flora] (ZNIEFF) type I. Its habitat consists of short lawns, forests of Pinus uncinata at altitude, a beech-fir forest on its lower slopes, moorland and some bogs. In the bogs are oblong-leaved sundew (Drosera intermedia), round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) and bog club moss (Lycopodiella inundata), rare and protected species, but also the marsh cinquefoil (Comarum palustre) and tussock cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum). With regard to wildlife, of particular note is the presence of the capercaillie, the golden eagle, the bearded vulture and, for mammals, the European pine marten (Martes martes) and the Pyrenean chamois. ==Sport==

Ski resort Created in 1988, the Plateau de Beille Nordic ski resort was opened in 1989. The facilities include of cross-country trails, of snowshoe trails, a biathlon stadium and a school for dog sledding. In summer activities are organised for, among other things, scooters hauled by sled dogs and discovery walks concerning pastoralism. Mountain biking trails follow the route of the cross-country ski slopes. It is a daytime station, with the exception of bivouacs in light structures, which have been implemented from 2007, no accommodation is guaranteed. With regard to attendance and turnover, in 2008 Beille was the first Nordic ski station in the Pyrenees and the 4th at the French level. It is a formidable ascent. The first are generally done under forest canopy and the last are uncovered through the pastures, where cattle sometimes cross the road. While the valley roads are virtually flat, as soon as leaving the central square of Les Cabannes, riders face a very steep ramp to arrive at the height of the Château de Gudanes (commune of Château-Verdun). During the first kilometres, the tar road surface is smooth but then becomes granular, After having crossed a hairpin a little further up the road, the final section offers a moderate slope and the finish takes place at the large car park outside the building of the ski station, at an altitude of . Tour de France Since its discovery by the Tour de France in 1998, the Plateau de Beille has served as stage finish seven times (in 1998, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2024). The ascent is ranked as hors catégorie in the mountains classification. On the first four occasions, the stage winner has gone on to win the Tour: Marco Pantani in 1998, Lance Armstrong in 2002 and 2004 (but whose titles were removed from him in October 2012), and Alberto Contador in 2007 who won the Tour de France as a result of the exclusion of the Danish Michael Rasmussen. Tour de France stage finishes • The 1998 Tour de France finish was at whereas in later years the finish has been at . Route du Sud The Plateau de Beille has also been used seven times for a stage finish of the Route du Sud. • 1995: Carmelo Mirando • 1996: Giuseppe Guerini • 1997: Laurent Roux • 1998: Armand de Las Cuevas • 1999: Lance Armstrong • 2001: Francesco Casagrande • 2002: Levi Leipheimer (ITT) ==Gallery==

File:Les Cabannes- début montée Beille.JPG|Difficult slope from the rise on leaving Les Cabannes File:Numérisation0001.jpg|The mountain of Quié de Sinsat at File:Plateau de Beille- cabanne de Pierrefite.JPG|The Pierrefite cabin to the right, from the finish File:AsCy-Beille-14.JPG|The hairpin turn at from the finish File:Numérisation0010.jpg|Cattle and horses on the road at from the finish File:Plateau de Beille- départ pistes.JPG|The start of the ski slopes File:Vue au Nord en direction de la Montagne de la Tabe.jpg|View north to the Montagne de la Tabe File:numérisation0008.jpg|Restaurant at the finish next to the large car park ==See also==