A journey in memory of Raymond Poulidor.
The Tour de France 2023 has concocted a special stage in tribute to the rider on July 9.
Departure planned in his village of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat (Haute-Vienne), arrival at the puy de Dôme, scene of his famous duel with Jacques Anquetil in 1964. Back in pictures on the history of the Tour and these iconic slopes , more surveyed for thirty-five years.
1. The most memorable arrival: the Poulidor-Anquetil duel in 1964
Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor neck and neck in the climb of the Puy de Dôme in 1964. SPORTS PRESS / Roger Krieger
It is one of the most memorable duels of the Grande Boucle.
July 12, 1964, 20th stage between Brive-la-Gaillarde and the Puy de Dôme.
In the general classification, Jacques Anquetil is 56 seconds ahead of his runner-up, "Poupou", four stages from the end.
In the final climb, while the stage victory is already decided, the two men are wheel to wheel.
Less than a kilometer from the finish, Anquetil cracks.
The eternal second then believes he can finally get the yellow jersey.
He regains 42 seconds… The final gap will be insufficient but the two men are no longer separated by more than 14 seconds overall.
2. The most controversial rise: the punch on Eddy Merckx in 1975
Eddy Merckx at the end of the stage towards the Puy de Dôme in 1975. During the climb, he was punched in the liver by a spectator.
Sports Press
July 11, 1975. Leader of the general standings, the five-time winner of the Tour is in difficulty against the attack of Bernard Thévenet.
200m from the summit, the greatest champion in the history of cycling staggers and collapses.
He has just received a punch in the liver from a spectator.
This is the first time that a yellow jersey has been physically attacked.
If the gesture takes his breath away, Eddy Merckx will manage to keep his tunic, before losing it a few days later.
To never wear it again.
3. The first passage: Fausto Coppi's last victory, in 1952
2 km from the summit, in the hardest percentages, Fausto Coppi attacks and recovers his opponents one by one.
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This is the first arrival in the Puy de Dôme, on July 17, 1952. The Grande Boucle discovers the slopes of the Clermont volcano.
Nearly 12% on average over the last four kilometers.
2 km from the top in the hardest percentages, Fausto Coppi attacks and recovers his opponents one by one before swooping down on the Dutchman
Nolten 250m from the line.
He does not know it but the Italian wins his 9th and last stage on the Tour de France that day.
4. The only French victory: the triumph of the red lantern, Pierre Matignon, in 1969
Last in the standings, Pierre Matignon goes to the end of the climb, maintaining a 1′25 lead over the inevitable Eddy Merckx.
His only career victory on the Tour.
Eddy Merckx has already stunned the Tour.
At 48 hours from the finish, the peloton did not get carried away and let Pierre Matignon go 66 km from the finish.
The rider from the Frimatic-De Gribaldy team is very far from being dangerous in the general standings since the Frenchman is quite simply the red lantern.
With 5 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of his first pursuers approaching the final ascent, the shot seems doable.
And Pierre Matignon goes well at the end, keeping 1′25 ahead of the inevitable Eddy Merckx.
His only career victory on the Tour.
5. Double winners: Luis Ocana (1971 and 1973) and Joop Zoetemelk (1976 and 1978)
In 1973, Luis Ocana became the first man to win twice at the Puy de Dôme.
Sports Press
The 1970s and 1980s marked the advent of the Puy de Dôme on the Tour de France route, present five times on the calendar from 1971 to 1978. Luis Ocana won for the first time in 1971 but saw the Tour escape him by falling July 12 in the Pyrenees.
Two years later, the Spaniard came back stronger than ever and triumphed again at the top of the Puy de Dôme, before keeping the yellow jersey this time until the finish.
In 1976 and 1978, Joop Zoetemelk also achieved the feat of winning twice in a row at the top of the Clermont volcano, without allowing him to win the Tour de France.
He will wait until 1980 to win his only Grande Boucle.
6. The last stage: Johnny Weltz, a last number in 1988
In 1988, Johnny Weltz broke away and went for his only Tour de France stage after a 110 km breakaway as a duo.
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It was the last time the peloton surveyed the puy de Dôme, on July 21, 1988. At kilometer 71, Johnny Weltz (Fagor) and
Rolf Gölz (Superconfex) escaped and had a lead of almost fifteen minutes as they approached the last summit.
Irresistible on the puy de Dôme, the Dane broke away and went to seek his only stage of the Tour de France after 110 km of breakaway.
