The Col d’Aubisque is a true veteran among the iconic ascents of the Pyrenees, steeped in cycling history and tradition. This legendary climb has been a fixture in the Tour de France since 1910, when the race ventured into the high mountains for the very first time.
Although Tour de France started outside Paris for the first time in 1926, race organizers used the good old concept to start the event in Paris even during the subsequent years. Only after World War II became a custom to start Tour de France elsewhere in France. And in 1954 the race witnessed its first start abroad in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Mont Ventoux was introduced to Tour de France in 1951 (one year earlier than Alpe d’Huez and Puy de Dôme). At the first three occasions (1951, 1954 and 1955) the peloton crossed the top during mid-race, the first summit finish was organized only in 1958. The 11th stage of the 1955 Tour de France began in Marseille and ended in Avignon, covering a distance of 198 km. Standing between them was the formidable Mont Ventoux. Louison Bobet, the reigning world champion, was the first to conquer the brutal climb and went on to win the stage. Bobet, clad in the prestigious rainbow jersey of the world champion, would later trade it for the yellow jersey… Read More »Louison Bobet on Mont Ventoux (Tour de France 1955)
Felice Gimondi’s cycling career is remembered for his remarkable ability to compete at the highest level during the same era as the legendary Eddy Merckx, widely regarded as one of the greatest cyclists of all time. Despite Merckx’s dominance, Gimondi achieved numerous significant victories, including all three Grand Tours—Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España—making him one of the select few riders to win each of these prestigious races. However, Gimondi stands out even more for being one of the very few cyclists to have also claimed a World Championship title, elevating his status in the sport.
The 1949 Tour de France marked a high point in the legendary rivalry between two Italian cycling icons, Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi. Bartali had already claimed two Tour victories (1938 and 1948), while Coppi, though a three-time Giro d’Italia champion (1940, 1947, 1949), was making his Tour debut. Determined to make history, Coppi aimed to achieve the elusive Giro-Tour double, a feat never before accomplished in cycling.
Tour de France 1914 started on the same day, 28th June, as the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg were assassinated in Sarajevo. When the riders lined up in the middle of the nigh for the start of the first stage in Paris, they knew nothing about that this day would determinate the life of millions worldwide. They did not know either, that on 28th July, just two days after they finished the Tour de France, the Great War would break out and some of the cyclists would lose their life during the fights, including François Faber, who is among the three riders depicted on this image. The Alps were… Read More »Climbing Col d’Allos at Tour de France 1914 -Vintage cycling image of the day
Although Paris-Roubaix in 1936 was more important in the career of Tour de France winner (1933) cyclist Georges Speicher, one of the most popular funny vintage cycling images from the good old days of road cycling was taken one year earlier.Georges Speicher (1907-1978) was a French rider, the first cyclist who won Tour de France and the UCI World Championship in the same year (1933).This image of him reparing his bike while three spectators, possibly a father and his two daughters standing next to him is a classic exemplare for those pictures evoking some kind of false nostalgia I wrote about in the blogpost Past was a better place (?). Please read that article too.Also,… Read More »Georges Speicher at Paris-Roubaix 1935
The race in 1972 was Bernard Thévenet’s second Tour de France. In his devutant year, in 1971 he finished fifth in the general classification and also won stage. It was a bit of a surprise performance, but in the subsequent year he was considered as one of the favourites. The 7th stage of Tour de France 1972 was a day in the Pyrenees with only one big challenge, the Aubisque. Thévenet crashed with Luis Ocaña and went down. He was temporarily amnesic. As he began to regain his memory, he looked down at his own Peugeot jersey and wondered whether he might be a cyclist. On recognizing the team car, he exclaimed:”I’m riding the Tour de France!”He… Read More »Iconic Cycling Images: Bernard Thévenet after a crash (Tour de France 1972)
During the first few decades in the history of Tour de France, mountain routes were kind of “terrae incognitae”, uncharted territories. We all know the story when Alphonse Steniès persuaded Henri Desgrange to include Tourmalet in the program of Tour de France 1910. He was struggling even to find a car driver, a local guide to bring him throught the pass in January. Of course, back then the roads weren’t paved yet. Also the peloton was never really compact. Riders were riding on their own, or in small groups. A usual stage lasted more than a half day. Roads weren’t secured in that form like nowadays during a professional cycling race. Thus nothing was more… Read More »Cyclists meet a local inhabitant during Tour de France 1925
Snow at the Tour de France? Yes, it happens sometimes, especially, when the race visits such high places like Col d’Iseran in the Alps. In the 16th stage of Tour de France 1963, the peloton visited the Alps. It was a 202 km long stage between Grenoble and Val d’Isere, including Col de la Croix de Fer and Col d’Iseran. The Spaniard Fernando Manzaneque won the stage ahead of Enzo Fontona and Guy Epaud. The stages in the Alps in that year delivered and epic battle between Federico Bahamontes and Jacques Anquetil. The French rider has already won Vuelta a Espana a few weeks earlier and was about to win his 4th Tour de France.… Read More »Fernando Manzaneque on the Col d’Iseran (Tour de France 1963)