Col de Turini pass 02

The Col de Turini (el. 1607 m) is a high mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Alpes-Maritimes in France. It lies near Sospel, between the communes of Moulinet and La Bollène-Vésubie in the Arrondissement of Nice. It is famous for a stage of the Monte Carlo Rally which is held on the tight road with its many hairpin turns. Until a few years ago, the Col de Turini was also driven at night, with thousands of fans watching the “night of the long knives” as it was called, due to the strong high beam lights cutting through the night. The Col de Turini has also featured three times in the Tour de France (1948, 1950 and 1973). The climb averages 7.2% over 15.3 km when approached from the East starting at the valley of the river Vésubie. This pass was featured in the first episode of Top Gear series 10 when the presenters went in search of the greatest driving road in the world.