The Tour Visits Le Puy en Velay
There has only been one stage finish here, taken by Pascal
Richard in 1996.
July 22nd in the Tour
- In 1907 Emile Georget took a win in Toulouse. Of the 14
stages that year it was one of 6 that went to him.
- The Tour route did not vary in the early 1920s. In 1921
Frenchman Felix Goethals took the final two stages, from
Metz to Dunkirk and Durkirk to Paris. In 1923 he would
duplicate this feat, winning the same last two stages.
- Did you ever wonder what they did before photo finish
cameras? In 1937 they declared a dead heat between Adolph
Braeckeveldt and Heinz Wengler, and both were declared
stage winners.
- Merckx? Nope. Not today. Imagine that.
- But Joseph Bruyere of the Molteni team was allowed to
contest the sprint on this date in 1972 in Versailles.
And he made it count, he won.
- In 1977 Bernard Thevenet won the TT in Dijon, on his way
to Paris and the overall win. Merckx finished 6th on the
stage, behind his lieutenant Bruyere.
- The stage in 1979 was the finish in Paris. Second placed
Joop Zoetemelk ditched everyone except the yellow clad
Bernard Hinault. The two duked it out and Hinault took both
the stage and the Tour.
- 1987. La Plagne. After a long period of injury and illness
Laurent Fignon takes the stage. But it is Stephen Roche's
heroic ride that makes this day memorable. Dropped and
left for dead by Pedro Delgado, Roche dug deep to recover
almost all of his deficit as Delgado faded, collapsing
at the finish line.
- The 1990 Tour finished in Paris, and it was Johan Musseuw
that won the stage.
- In 1948 Gino Bartali faced three stages in the Alps and
won them all. In 2004 Lance Armstrong faced three days in
the Alps and won then all. The third win was a year ago at
Le Grand Bornand.
Bob Schwartz
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