Steering column, comprising: - a body which is equipped with a deformable bearing, - a sleeve which is intended to support a steering wheel, the sleeve being received in the deformable bearing, the sleeve being adjustable longitudinally with respect to the body in a direction of compression and in a direction of extension opposite to the direction of compression, - a clamping mechanism having an operating lever, a clamping shaft and a clamping device supported by the clamping shaft, the clamping shaft pivoting with the operating lever between a clamping position in which the clamping device compresses the deformable bearing so as to block the sleeve, and a release position in which the sleeve is free to slide longitudinally relative to the body while passing through an intermediate pre-clamping position in which the clamping device compresses the deformable bearing so as to block the sleeve, - a stop device which is provided with a stop edge supported by the sleeve and forming an adjustment limit stop in the direction of compression, - a bolt mounted on the clamping shaft and capable of pivoting between a locking position and an unlocking position, the bolt being returned to the locking position by a spring, the bolt having: * a tip pushed by the spring to abut a surface of the sleeve, and * an stop surface supported by the tip and capable of coming against the stop edge of the stop device when the sleeve, as it is adjusted, passes under the bolt and the bolt, driven by the spring, pivots into the locking position, and defining, with the stop edge, an adjustment limit position of the sleeve, an energy absorption compression course being reserved for the sleeve beyond the adjustment limit position in the direction of compression, characterized in that - the bolt has an arcuate groove forming an arcuate clearance delimited by two sides (624A, 624C), and - the clamping shaft has a drive rib received in the arcuate clearance of the groove between the two sides (624A, 624C) such that: * the drive rib does not interfere with the bolt when the bolt is in the locking position and the clamping shaft pivots between the release position and the pre-clamping position, * the drive rib meets one of the sides and drives the bolt into the unlocking position when the clamping shaft pivots from the pre-clamping position to the clamping position. - a body which is equipped with a deformable bearing, - a sleeve which is intended to support a steering wheel, the sleeve being received in the deformable bearing, the sleeve being adjustable longitudinally with respect to the body in a direction of compression and in a direction of extension opposite to the direction of compression, - a clamping mechanism having an operating lever, a clamping shaft and a clamping device supported by the clamping shaft, the clamping shaft pivoting with the operating lever between a clamping position in which the clamping device compresses the deformable bearing so as to block the sleeve, and a release position in which the sleeve is free to slide longitudinally relative to the body while passing through an intermediate pre-clamping position in which the clamping device compresses the deformable bearing so as to block the sleeve, - a stop device which is provided with a stop edge supported by the sleeve and forming an adjustment limit stop in the direction of compression, - a bolt mounted on the clamping shaft and capable of pivoting between a locking position and an unlocking position, the bolt being returned to the locking position by a spring, the bolt having: * a tip pushed by the spring to abut a surface of the sleeve, and * an stop surface supported by the tip and capable of coming against the stop edge of the stop device when the sleeve, as it is adjusted, passes under the bolt and the bolt, driven by the spring, pivots into the locking position, and defining, with the stop edge, an adjustment limit position of the sleeve, an energy absorption compression course being reserved for the sleeve beyond the adjustment limit position in the direction of compression, characterized in that * a tip pushed by the spring to abut a surface of the sleeve, and * an stop surface supported by the tip and capable of coming against the stop edge of the stop device when the sleeve, as it is adjusted, passes under the bolt and the bolt, driven by the spring, pivots into the locking position, and defining, with the stop edge, an adjustment limit position of the sleeve, an energy absorption compression course being reserved for the sleeve beyond the adjustment limit position in the direction of compression, - the bolt has an arcuate groove forming an arcuate clearance delimited by two sides (624A, 624C), and - the clamping shaft has a drive rib received in the arcuate clearance of the groove between the two sides (624A, 624C) such that: * the drive rib does not interfere with the bolt when the bolt is in the locking position and the clamping shaft pivots between the release position and the pre-clamping position, * the drive rib meets one of the sides and drives the bolt into the unlocking position when the clamping shaft pivots from the pre-clamping position to the clamping position. * the drive rib does not interfere with the bolt when the bolt is in the locking position and the clamping shaft pivots between the release position and the pre-clamping position, * the drive rib meets one of the sides and drives the bolt into the unlocking position when the clamping shaft pivots from the pre-clamping position to the clamping position.