The Tour de France is much more than a cycling race. There are lots of facts beyond the cycling that are worth knowing. This is my top 10 historical facts in the Tour de France that you should know: The first Tour de France took place in 1903 and started on July 1st. The winner was Maurice Garin. The tour has been disputed every year since then, except in the years 1916 to 1919 (First World War) and 1941 to 1947 (Second World War). This way, in 2019 took place the 106 edition. In 1910 happened the first big mountain stage in the Pyrenees, including the Col du Tourmalet. Octave Lapize was the first cyclist at the top after cycling but also walking some parts of the climb. When he arrived at the finish he said the famous sentence to organizers “Vous êtes des assassins! Oui, des assassins! “You are murderers!”. Eugene Christophe broke his fork in the descent of Tourmalet in Tour de France 1913, and he had to fix it himself after walking more than 14 km to Sainte Marie de Campan. There is a statue dedicated to Cristophe at St Marie de Campan to remember it. Curious, that this odd fact of breaking the fork happened to Cristophe still twice more in later TdF 1919 and 1922. In 1919, for the first time the leader is wearing the yellow jersey in the Tour de France (not from the very beginning, but from stage 11). Yellow color is due to the color of the newspaper L'Auto, which was the organizer of the tour by that time. Tour de France was a great way to explain the adventures of the cycling heroes and sell more newspapers. The pink leader jersey of Giro d'Italia is the same, being La Gazzetta dello
The Tour de France is much more than a cycling race. There are lots of facts beyond the cycling that are worth knowing. This is my top 10 historical facts in the Tour de France that you should know: The first Tour de France took place in 1903 and started on July 1st. The winner was
(Updated July 2023) The Tour de France has crossed Col du Tourmalet in so many years since 1910, in which was crossed for the first time. It is the most used climb in Tour de France history. Getting the first position at the top of Col du Tourmalet is a big honour for every cyclist. Some say that it is worth a whole cycling career. Only a climber can get the first position at the summit as it is a really demanding climb. At the top of the climb there is a monument dedicated to Jacques Goddet (Tour de France director between 1936 and 1987). The Souvenir Jacques Goddet is an award and cash prize in the Tour de France bicycle race that began in 2001. The Souvenir is named in honour of the historically second Tour de France director and French sports journalist Jacques Goddet. It is awarded to the first rider to reach the summit of the 2,115 m (6,939 ft)-high Col du Tourmalet. The pioneers 1910 Octave Lapize (FRA) The first winner at the top of Tourmalet was Octave Lapize in 1910, walking aside of the bike (he did the climb half way on the bike half way walking) in a gravel path filled with rocks. He was 500 mts ahead of Garrigou who climbed on his bike all the way. When he arrived to the finish he said the famous sentence to organizers "Vous êtes des assassins! Oui, des assassins! "You are murderers!". 1911 Paul Duboc (FRA) Duboc finished second that Tour de France because he was suposed to drink a poisoned bottle of water. The leader Gustave Garrigou was blamed on that. 1912 Odile Defraye (BEL) First belgian rider to win the Tour the France that 1912. 1913 Philippe Thys (BEL) This time, Tourmalet enters in cycling history again, as that day Eugene Christophe broke his
(Updated July 2023) The Tour de France has crossed Col du Tourmalet in so many years since 1910, in which was crossed for the first time. It is the most used climb in Tour de France history. Getting the first position at the top of Col du Tourmalet is a big honour for every cyclist.
This is the most famous climb in cycling world. No doubt. It is not the most difficult climb, nor the most steep. It is not the highest. Not even has the best scenery. Not sure other climbs have more history. It is the combination of it all, that makes Tourmalet so special. Year after year Le Tour de France pays tribute to this special climb and host hundreds of thousands people watching cyclists struggling to get to the top As a cycling fan, once you get to the top, you must make a picture beside "Le Geant du Tourmalet", the silver statue of a cyclist (said to be Octave Lapize, first cyclist to cross the col in 1910 Tour de France). This statue is removed during winter, and is kept in Gedre, beside Bagneres de Bigorre. Only beginning of each June, the giant comes back to its place, in an every time more popular congregation of cyclists, joining the geant in its way back. You should also stop at the mythical bar to eat something or drink a coke, but also to watch the old pictures on the walls, the old bikes hanging up there and smelling the cycling history. You must also enter the souvenirs shop and buy some shirt, pin or small gadget that after many years will make you remind you were there. Join our Barcelona Tourmalet trip next summer! More details here: https://roadcycling.barcelona/tours/barcelona-tourmalet/
This is the most famous climb in cycling world. No doubt. It is not the most difficult climb, nor the most steep. It is not the highest. Not even has the best scenery. Not sure other climbs have more history. It is the combination of it all, that makes Tourmalet so special. Year after year
