It was July 14, 2004. The 10th stage snorted between Limoges and Saint-Flour, passing in particular by the Puy Mary pass, scene of the arrival of the 13th stage of this Tour 2020. Thomas Voeckler (Brioches La Boulangère ) was a great adventure in yellow.
He did not know that another, even more beautiful, would follow in 2011. On this national holiday, Richard Virenque (Quick Step) will fire the fireworks.
The Varois set off on the right breakaway at the start of the stage.
With Axel Merckx, the son of the great Eddy, Virenque leaves the group before Mount Gargan.
The two escapees will have up to ten minutes ahead of the peloton led by the Brioches La Boulangère and US Postal teams of a certain Lance Armstrong, the real boss of the race.
"I think I have some concerns because it seems that I have to do the stage with ..."
In the ascent of Puy Mary, Merckx takes down the Virenque wheel.
Now alone in the lead, the Frenchman maintains the gap around six to seven minutes until Saint-Flour.
After 200 km in the lead, he won his seventh stage in the Tour de France, and put on his seventh polka dot jersey.
But Virenque will have a surprise on arrival.
Beyond the classic bouquets of flowers and plush lion, Virenque receives as a gift a… 700 kg salt cow offered by local breeders.
The day after his victory, Virenque comments with humor: "I think I have some problems today, because it seems that I have to do the stage with the cow ... I will maybe take the bell instead ... although, I hesitate , it also looks heavy.
"
Finally, the climber will exchange his cow for a check for 1,500 euros and 12 kilos of Salers cheese.
He came to pick him up on April 26, 2005, on the occasion of a big party organized in his honor.