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Isola 2000 at Tour de France ( TDF 2024 Stage 19 Embrun – Isola 2000 145 km) )

Stage 19 Embrun – Isola 2000 19 July 2024 145 km   Isola 2000 in the program of Tour de France 2024 . The ski resort in the southern French Alps hosted a summit finish in 1993 already. Now, as the mayor of Nice has confirmed in the social media, the ascent will be part of the program of the 19th stage of the race. Although the entire program of Tour de France 2024 will be revealed on the 25th of October 2023, there are already some avaiable information about the route, especially about the finale of the race. For the first time in its history, Tour de France will not finish in Paris. 2024… Read More »Isola 2000 at Tour de France ( TDF 2024 Stage 19 Embrun – Isola 2000 145 km) )

French cyclis Thibaut Pinot on the Horquette d'Ancizan at Tour de France 2022

Horquette d’Ancizan at Tour de France

Horquette d’Ancizan has a short history regarding its appearances at Tour de France. 2022  Thibaut Pinot (FRA) 2019 Simon Yates (GBR) 2016  Chris Froome (GBR) 2013  Daniel Martin (IRL) 2011 Laurent Mangel (FRA) Horquette d’Ancizan will part of the program Tour de France 2024.

Faces from the peloton: Jules Deloffre, “the acrobat cyclist”

Undoubtedly, there were plenty of cyclists with unique stories in the peloton in the first few decades of road cycling races. These atlethes were not necessarily successful riders or didn’t become the bigest stars of their days, but yet, their stories are worth to be told. Actually, if we are looking deeper into the well of the past, ((“Very deep is the well of the past” -Thomas Mann)) it’s quite possible, that these are the cyclists and the stories, that makes the early days of road cycling so intriguing and unique. For example, French cyclist Jules Deloffre (1885-1963) earned his nickname ‘The Acrobat’ (L’Acrobate) through his acrobatic performances after Tour de France stages. Especially during… Read More »Faces from the peloton: Jules Deloffre, “the acrobat cyclist”

Richard Virenque in the 15th stage of Tour de France 1995

Col de Menté at Tour de France

Unfortunately, Col de Menté, a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees  is well-known because of the tragic stories happened there during the Tour de France. In 1971, a nasty crash on the descent of Col de Menté ended Luis Ocaña’s dreams of winning the Tour de France that year. (Nevertheless, Ocaña managed to win Tour de France two years later.) In 1995 Col de Menté was part of the infamous 15th stage, when Fabio Casartelli crashed on the descent of Col de Portet d’Aspet. 2020 Benoit Cosnefroy (FRA) 2017  Michael Matthews (AUS) 2013 Tom Danielson (USA) 2012 Thomas Voeckler (FRA) 2007  Juan Manuel Gárate (ESP) 2005 Erik Dekker (NED) 2003  Richard Virenque (FRA) 2001 Laurent… Read More »Col de Menté at Tour de France

Italian Tour de France winner Ottavio Bottecchia on the Col du Tourmalet surrounded by cheering crowd during the Tour de France in 1824

Preparing for Tour de France 2024

It’s never too early to start preparing for next year’s Tour de France. Not even on a small blog like PelotonTales. But especially for a small blog is very crucial to find a topic for the months of the off-season, which sometimes can be cruel. Sometimes it looks like I have to start from the very beginning to introduce PelotonTales for its readers in next spring. Therefore, during the off-season months I am even more grateful, if you would like to support the blog with a small donation. You can choose as little as 3$ but also more, 5, 10, 20 or 25$, please, select the opcion below. (I’m very grateful for the 3$, it… Read More »Preparing for Tour de France 2024

Ferdinand Moulet and Georges Cuvelier on the Col d'Allos at Tour de France 1927

Col d’Allos at Tour de France

Col d’Allos was part of the program of Tour de France since the race visited the Alps for the very first time in 1911. Especially during the 1920s and the 1930s was very popular. In the second half of the 20th century it was used muvh more rarely. 1911: François Faber 1912:  Octave Lapize 1913:  Lucien Petit-Breton 1914: Firmin Lambot and Henri Pélissier 1919: Honoré Barthélémy 1920: Firmin Lambot 1921: Hector Heusghem and Honoré Barthélémy 1922: Jean Alavoine 1923:  Henri Pélissier 1924: Nicolas Frantz 1925: Auguste Verdyck 1926: Lucien Buysse 1927: Nicolas Frantz1 928: Nicolas Frantz 1929: Joseph Demuysere 1930: Benoit Faure 1931: Joseph Demuysere 1932: Benoit Faure 1933:  Fernand Fayolle 1934:  René Vietto 1935:… Read More »Col d’Allos at Tour de France

Ottavio Bottecchia on the Col d'Izoard in 13th stage of Tour de France 1925

Ottavio Bottecchia on the Izoard (Tour de France 1925)

Col d’Izoard was introduced to Tour de France in 1922. It seems to have been the new favourite of the organizers, they put it in the program also in the next 5 years. (And it is still one of the most used ascent in the history of Tour de France) Ottavio Bottecchia might have been a surprise newcomer in 1923, when he finished second behind his teammate Henri Pelissier, but his overall victory in the subsequent year, especially the fact, that he was the first cyclist to wear the yellow jersey during the entire race from the very beginning, made him the biggest favourite of Tour de France 1925. Bottecchia started strong in that year… Read More »Ottavio Bottecchia on the Izoard (Tour de France 1925)