S11 Ep79: Kilometre 0 – Le Puy de Prudhomme
On Sunday, the Tour de France will return to Le Puy de Dôme for the first time in 35 years.
The volcano in the Massif Central was first visited by the race in 1952. Fausto Coppi, who had won the Tour's first-ever summit finish at Alpe d'Huez a couple of weeks earlier, took the stage.
In 1964, it was the scene of a famous duel between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor as the two brushed shoulders in their battle for the yellow jersey.
Eleven years later, in 1975, a spectator punched Eddy Merckx which effectively ended the Belgian's long reign as the undisputed best rider in the world.
The final visit, in 1988, saw a win by Denmark's Johnny Weltz but after the stage there was chaos with tens of thousands of fans trying to get off the mountain.
A funicular railway was installed, narrowing the road and the climb was closed even to amateur cyclists making it very difficult for the Tour to return.
But race director, Christian Prudhomme has long harboured a dream to take the Tour back. Even though the climb will be closed to spectators, it promises to be a special day.
In this episode we hear from Prudhomme, local rider Remi Cavagna of Soudal-Quick Step, climber Dan Martin and the last man to win on the volcano, Johnny Weltz.
The volcano in the Massif Central was first visited by the race in 1952. Fausto Coppi, who had won the Tour's first-ever summit finish at Alpe d'Huez a couple of weeks earlier, took the stage.
In 1964, it was the scene of a famous duel between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor as the two brushed shoulders in their battle for the yellow jersey.
Eleven years later, in 1975, a spectator punched Eddy Merckx which effectively ended the Belgian's long reign as the undisputed best rider in the world.
The final visit, in 1988, saw a win by Denmark's Johnny Weltz but after the stage there was chaos with tens of thousands of fans trying to get off the mountain.
A funicular railway was installed, narrowing the road and the climb was closed even to amateur cyclists making it very difficult for the Tour to return.
But race director, Christian Prudhomme has long harboured a dream to take the Tour back. Even though the climb will be closed to spectators, it promises to be a special day.
In this episode we hear from Prudhomme, local rider Remi Cavagna of Soudal-Quick Step, climber Dan Martin and the last man to win on the volcano, Johnny Weltz.
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Heart UK