Every road cycling fan knows the name Octave Lapize, the rider who crossed Tourmalet first at the Tour de France in 1910. His memorial is on the top of the ascent. Lapize also won that year’s Tour de France.
But, although he was rather considered a climber, he was good also at the Paris-Roubaix. Actually, he was the first rider, who won the race three times. In 1909, 1910 and 1911.
Lapize just turned professional at the beginning of the season 1909 and made a good impression on Henri Desgranges:
“He has an energetic aspect, a solid chin, a focused look, a pointed moustache, all of which give him the look of a racer[…]He has a solid chest, well-set legs, powerful thighs and the hands of a rider who could destroy any handlebar in the world when he pulls hard on them on the hills.”1
In 1909, he managed to stay with Louis Trousselier (the winner of both Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix in 1905) and Jules Masselis. Trousselier most likely underestimated the young and inexperienced Lapize, who was able to sprint him out at the finish line.
Next year he won in sprint again. This time against Cyrille Van Houwaert (winner of Paris -Roubaix 1908).
Lapize’s last Paris-Roubaix victory was a solo triumph, after Van Houwaert punctured a short distance from the Roubaix velodrome.
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- quoted by Peter Cossins in his book The Monuments: The Grit and the Glory of Cycling’s Greatest One-day Races [↩]