Le Markstein is a winter sports station in the Vosges mountains in France situated at an altitude of between and which is located on the Route des Crêtes. It forms a set of cross-country skiing with the Breitfirst ski-station and the Grand Ballon. The highest point is the summit of the Jungfraukopf. The station staged World Cup skiing in

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and

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and World Cup Paragliding in 1999. The roads through the station are also used from time to time by the Tour de France cycle race, including twice in

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

Geography

Climate

Le Markstein has a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification ''Dfb'') closely bordering on a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...

(''Dfc''). The average annual temperature in Le Markstein is . The average annual rainfall is with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Le Markstein was on 7 August 2015; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 20 December 2009.

Skiing

The Markstein ski station has eight ski lifts.

Tracks

The station has 12 tracks in all including: *4 green runs *4 blue runs *2 red runs *2 black runs

Cycle racing

Prior to 2014, the Tour de France cycle race passed through Le Markstein seven times either during the passage over the Col du Grand Ballon or in the descent from the

Col du Platzerwasel The Col du Platzerwasel (elevation ) is a mountain pass situated in the Vosges Mountains in the Haut-Rhin department of France, between Sondernach and Le Markstein. It has been crossed occasionally during the Tour de France cycle race, includin ...

, although it was not categorized for the Mountains classification. The first passage was in

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and the most recent in

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Details of the climbs

Starting from Guebwiller, to the east, the climb is long. Over this distance, the climb is at an average gradient of 3.8%, with the steepest sections being at 8.1%. The 2014 Tour de France route joins this climb at Lautenbach, from where there is a long climb at an average gradient of 5.4%. Starting from

Oderen Oderen (; ) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Geography Climate Oderen has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification ''Dfb'') closely bordering on a subarctic climate (''Dfc''). Th ...

, to the west, the climb is long. Over this distance, the climb is at an average gradient of 3.5%, with the steepest sections being at 8.6%.

2014 Tour de France

In 2014, the Tour de France passed through Le Markstein twice. On

Stage 9 Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * '' The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * S ...

, on 13 July, the race climbed to Le Markstein from the sprint at Linthal, to the east, and the climb to the summit, with an altitude of , ranked as First Category. The race then travelled via the Route des Crêtes (D431) before crossing the Col du Grand Ballon and descending to the finish at Mulhouse. The leader over the summit was the German rider Tony Martin. The following day, the tour again passed through the station, as it descended from the

towards

References

{{Authority control Ski stations in France Tourist attractions in Haut-Rhin Mountain passes of the Vosges Skiing in the Vosges Sports venues in Haut-Rhin