Orcières-Merlette

Orcières-Merlette
Orcières-Merlette in 2013
Orcières-Merlette
Location within France
LocationFrench Alps
Nearest major cityGap
Coordinates44°41′49″N 6°19′19″E / 44.697°N 6.322°E / 44.697; 6.322
Top elevation2,727 m (8,947 ft)
Base elevation1,850 m (6,070 ft)
Skiable area607 ha (1,500 acres)
Trails51
Longest run8 km (5.0 mi)
Total length100 km (62 mi)
Snowfall500 centimetres (200 in)
Websiteorcieres.com

Orcières-Merlette (French pronunciation: [ɔʁsjɛʁ mɛʁlɛt]), also known as Orcières Merlette 1850, is a ski resort near to Orcières, Hautes-Alpes, in the French Alps. It has been a summit finish for Tour de France stages on multiple occasions, most notably in 1971, when Luis Ocaña beat Eddy Merckx by over eight minutes to take the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification.