Tour de France tomorrow: Pra-Loup, a place of cycling history (1975-2015)

[Marc]

Tomorrow in the Tour de France: finish for the cyclists at an historic place: Pra-Loup (in the Alps), where 40 years ago, on July the 13th, the Kingdom of Belgian Champion Eddy Merckx (De Zwarte van Tervuren, De Kannibaal, Eddy Le Géant) came to an end in one of the most emotional stages in cycling history ...

Merckx began the final climb of 6 kilometers with a lead of 1 minutes and 13 seconds, despite the fact that he was suffering from pain in his liver region, caused a few days earlier by an agressive French spectator who had hit Merckx in the side.

Everyone knew: he's unbeatable again, the King is gonna win his 6th Tour de France, which would have meant a new record.

But with about 3 kilometers to go, Merckx suddenly collapsed, his head sank deep between his shoulders, he began to perspire enormously and almost came to a standstill.



Italian champion Félice Gimondi overtook him and soon after that French challenger Bernard Thévenet passed him with enormous courage.



At the line, Merckx was beaten by stagewinner Thévenet with a gap of 1 minute and 56 seconds, which meant that he had lost his leading position (and the famous yellow jersey). During the final week of the Tour, Merckx broke his cheekbone and didn't succeed in winning his 6th Tour de France. He finished 2nd but the main conclusion was that his rivals now knew that The Cannibal was no longer invincible. His only big victory after that was a 7th(!) win in the classical race Milano - San Remo, but in the big stage races his leading role was gone. He stopped with cycling in 1978.



Let's hope for another exciting stage tomorrow, even though it will be nigh impossible to make it as legendary as it was 40 years ago.

(Posted just for fun, because I like to watch cycling races on the telly since my childhood years, especially those tough mountain stages.)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Just caught the end of the finish sprint (Le Tour 2021, Stage 6):  Mark Cavendish just won his 32nd stage at it!  Pretty amazing I think.

PD

[T. D.]

Just caught the end of the finish sprint (Le Tour 2021, Stage 6):  Mark Cavendish just won his 32nd stage at it!  Pretty amazing I think.

PD

Remarkable story, as he was inactive for a long time and only selected for the TdF team a couple of weeks ago, after Sam Bennett's injury (OK, it's a bit more complicated than that, as Bennett is leaving the team at the end of the year).

Big question now is whether Cavendish can make it over enough of the mountains to have a chance of breaking Merckx's record of 34 TdF stage wins.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Remarkable story, as he was inactive for a long time and only selected for the TdF team a couple of weeks ago, after Sam Bennett's injury (OK, it's a bit more complicated than that, as Bennett is leaving the team at the end of the year).

Big question now is whether Cavendish can make it over enough of the mountains to have a chance of breaking Merckx's record of 34 TdF stage wins.

My understanding is that it's been 5 years since he had won one [stage of Le Tour] and now two stages at one Le Tour.  And yes, I read about Merckx's amazing record of 34 wins.....so maybe?    Pretty cool story nevertheless, non?

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Remarkable story, as he was inactive for a long time and only selected for the TdF team a couple of weeks ago, after Sam Bennett's injury (OK, it's a bit more complicated than that, as Bennett is leaving the team at the end of the year).

Big question now is whether Cavendish can make it over enough of the mountains to have a chance of breaking Merckx's record of 34 TdF stage wins.

He did it (and might even surpass him this year)! 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-9773499/Mark-Cavendish-equals-Eddy-Merckxs-record-34-Tour-France-stage-wins-13th-stage-victory.html

PD