Col du Firstplan, Mountain pass in the Vosges, Haut-Rhin, France
Col du Firstplan is a 722-metre pass in the Vosges, in the Haut-Rhin department on the border of Rouffach and Soultzmatt. The road crosses a heavily wooded massif overlooking the Alsace plain, east of the Petit Ballon. At the roadside, a black sign reads "COL DU FIRSTPLAN, alt. 722 m", with a yellow "ATTENTION MARCHEURS" warning below it.
The Tour de France crossed the pass four times, in 1969, 1971, 2009 and 2014. The first rider over the top was Joaquim Agostinho in 1969, followed by Joop Zoetemelk, Heinrich Haussler and Thomas Voeckler. The 2010 Rallye d'Alsace ran a 16.9 km special stage from Gueberschwihr to above Soultzbach-les-Bains, won by Sébastien Loeb, who began his driving career on this pass in 1997.
The pass lies in the commune of Soultzbach-les-Bains, Haut-Rhin. Its name appears on the black summit sign photographed beside the road, which also carries a yellow warning panel reading "ATTENTION MARCHEURS" for walkers on the carriageway. The road is shared by cyclists, hikers and, during rallies, competition cars.
The pass is crossed by a paved road, as shown by the sign at the summit reading "COL DU FIRSTPLAN, alt. 722 m". A yellow warning sign below it alerts drivers to walkers on the road, so expect pedestrians and cyclists on the bends. The route climbs through dense forest above the Alsace plain, and the surface can be wet under the trees.
Between 2010 and 2011, the pass served as a racing venue for the Rally Alsace competition in the World Rally Championship. Drivers tackled multiple special stages on the mountain roads, bringing motorsport competition to the region.
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