The passage over the Col de la Bonette is often mistakenly referred to as the Col de Restefond, and in the 2008 Tour de France the summit was referred to as the Cime de la Bonette-Restefond. Stage 16 of the tour approached the summit from Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, and after reaching the Col de la Bonette, took a loop round the Cime de la Bonette reaching the summit of, which is the highest point reached by the Tour de France, before re-passing the Col de la Bonette. On the descent to Jausiers, the actual Col de Restefond was then passed on the right approximately 1 km from the summit.
“Highest road in Europe”
The two kilometre long teardrop shaped loop around the Cime de la Bonette peak from either side of the pass is the highest paved through route in the Alps. A signpost at the foot of the climb makes the claim "Col de la Bonette – Restefond, 2802 m above sea level, highest road in Europe". This claim is incorrect for various reasons. The actual Col de la Bonette rises to, but there are three Alpine road passes whose altitudes are higher: Col de l'Iseran, Stelvio Pass and Col Agnel. There is also the road to Veleta, Spain which reaches but it is not a through road. The road around the Cime de la Bonette reaches an altitude of, but this is not a "pass", but merely a scenic loop. It is, however, the highest asphalted road in France and is the highest through road in Europe.
Details of the climb
From the south, the climb starts at Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée and is long. Over this distance, the climb is . On the climb to the actual Col de la Bonette, there is one short section at over 10%, but on the loop around the Cime de la Bonette, the gradient reaches 15%. From the north, the climb starts at Jausiers and is long. Over this distance, the climb is , with the steepest sections at 9%. On both sidesmountain pass cycling markers are placed every kilometre. They indicate the current height, the distance from the start, the distance to the summit, the average slope in the following kilometre, the number of the street, as well as the distances to villages and cities connected by the pass. They provide information for cyclists going up- and downhill.
The pass has featured in the Tour de France four times. In 1962 and 1964, the race was led over the summit in both years by Federico Bahamontes, approaching from the south in 1962 and from the north in 1964. Robert Millar led over the summit in 1993. In 2008John-Lee Augustyn led over the mountain, before falling on the descent to Jausiers. He did, however, receive 5,000 Euros for being the leader over the highest point of the Tour, known as the "Souvenir Henri Desgrange".
