The pass has been used five times on the Tour de France since 1947. It was scheduled to be used in 1996 but was left out at the last minute due to bad weather. As a result of snow on both the Col de l'Iseran and the Col du Galibier the scheduled stage from Val-d'Isère to Sestriere in Italy was truncated to a sprint from Le-Monetier-les-Bains. Bjarne Riis claimed the sprint, resulting in him taking the yellow jersey which he retained to the finish in Paris.