The Col de Manse was first passed by the
Tour de France on Stage 12 of
the 1971 race when it was an uncategorized climb on the descent from Orcières-Merlette en route to
Marseille. It was crossed again twice in
the following year when it was ranked as a Category 3 and Category 4 climb. In 1989, it was crossed on Stage 15, which was an
individual time trial between Gap and Orcières-Merlette (). On
Stage 9 of the 2003 race,
Joseba Beloki and
Lance Armstrong were descending from the
Cote de La Rochette when, after passing the Col de Manse, Beloki locked his wheel on the melting road surface, flying out of control, and falling on his head, shoulder, and hip. Armstrong, who was immediately behind Beloki, swerved off the road through a field, getting off his bike, hopping over a small embankment, and resuming the chase to the finish in Gap. The descent was used again on
Stage 16 of the 2011 race. On the ascent,
Alberto Contador made two attacks, the second of which was successful, with
Cadel Evans and
Samuel Sánchez joining him in taking a time advantage on the stage over the other riders in contention for high placings in the general classification, and more than a minute over
Andy Schleck. Andy Schleck later criticized the use of such a technically testing descent so close to the finish of a stage. On Stage 16 of the
2015 Tour,
Warren Barguil (
Team Giant-Alpecin) lost control approaching a hairpin bend on the descent of the Col de Manse and collided with
Geraint Thomas, causing Thomas to crash head first into a
telegraph pole and fall into a ditch. However Thomas escaped serious injury, and was able to complete the stage and lost just 38 seconds to the leading group.
Appearances in Tour de France ==References==