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Cliff of the Roman breach

Cliff of the Roman breach

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Cliff of the Roman breach

Name: Cliff of the Roman breach
Rating: 2

Recommended by 18 road cyclists

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Location: Lez, Saint-Gaudens, Occitania, France

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Best Road Cycling Rides to Cliff of the Roman breach

4.7

(3)

487

riders

1. Col de Menté – Port de Balès loop from Poubeau

126km

07:29

3,240m

Expert road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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5.0

(2)

379

riders

2. Col de Menté – Col de Menté loop from Luchon

186km

10:38

4,210m

Expert road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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4.7

(3)

398

riders

3. Col de Menté – Portet-d'Aspet pass loop from Saint-Gaudens

98.2km

05:42

2,210m

Expert road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Tips

Fabrice Rigalleau

November 3, 2023

This rock wall is in fact the vestige of a spectacular old quarry which was for a long time one of the main activities of Saint Béat, the city of marble. It still bears traces of exploitation, the oldest of which date back to Antiquity, a time during which Saint-Béat was known as a "Passus Lupi" (passage of the wolf), because the narrowing of this part of the Val d'Aran n It would then have allowed only skinny wolves to pass without getting their paws wet in the Garonne. This ancient stronghold commanded the Garonne valley and its strategic importance had made it nicknamed the “key to France”.
For centuries, Saint-Béat remained best known for its white marble quarries, undoubtedly discovered while seeking to widen the narrow passage and exploited since Gallo-Roman times. Local legend did not hesitate to say that its marble was used to build Trajan's Column in Rome. This is naturally false.
Widely used during the reign of Louis XIV and particularly at Versailles, the quarries were then neglected or abandoned, only to be rediscovered in the 19th century. Today, nine marble quarries of various colors are still being exploited in Saint-Béat, including one underground.
But the operation of this concession located on the side of the road was abandoned and the place was rehabilitated as a climbing site.

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Sébastien

December 24, 2023

There’s something about climbing marble

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Siro Arias Valdés - Testadicorsa

March 26, 2024

When you start the Col de Menté through Sant Beat, right on the first ramp, you come across this work of art, which can be admired from the road.

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Informations

Elevation 530 m

Weather

Today

Wednesday 29 October

18°C

10°C

100 %

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Max wind speed: 13.0 km/h

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See rides here

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Location: Lez, Saint-Gaudens, Occitania, France

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Cliff of the Roman breach

1. Col de Menté – Port de Balès loop from Poubeau

2. Col de Menté – Col de Menté loop from Luchon

3. Col de Menté – Portet-d'Aspet pass loop from Saint-Gaudens

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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