Eugène Christophe
Eugène Christophe seemed bound for Tour glory as he followed the Belgian Philippe Thys over the summit of the Tourmalet, only to snap his front forks on the descent. Having walked ten kilometres down the mountain to Sainte Marie de Campan seeking out the local forge to fix his bike, the Tour was still his. Unfortunately, a place in history would be the only consolation: a ten-minute penalty for asking a boy to work the bellows added to the three-and-a-half hours he had lost to Thys by the time he crossed the finish line in Luchon.
It’s place at the Tour de France
The most visited and most hallowed mountain in the world’s most famous bike race. The Col du Tourmalet has had an affinity with the Tour de France since its introduction on July 29th, 1910. Cycling mythology records that the riders were terrorized by the experience; the reality, perhaps disappointingly, is rather different. Octave Lapize did label the organisers ‘criminals’ and ‘murderers’ but for the most part the riders, journalists and spectators thought it a success and so the Col du Tourmalet is now the Tour de France’ most climbed mountain in its history.