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Col Du Tourmalet
Col du Tourmalet (; elevation ) is one of the highest paved mountain passes in the French Pyrenees, in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées. Sainte-Marie-de-Campan is at the foot on the eastern side and the ski station La Mongie two-thirds of the way up. The village of Barèges lies on the western side, above the town of Luz-Saint-Sauveur. Higher roads in the Pyrenees The Col du Tourmalet is the highest ''paved mountain pass'' in the ''French'' Pyrenees second only to the Col de Portet. So in contrast to frequent claims (see for example ), it is neither the highest paved road in the Pyrenees nor the highest paved mountain pass in the Pyrenees. Paved roads leading to the mountain lakes Lac de Cap-de-Long and Lac d'Aumar in the same French Department Hautes-Pyrénées are higher, as these lakes are at altitudes of and , respectively. However, these roads are not mountain passes. Departing directly from the Col du Tourmalet, there is a road to the mountain pass Col de Laquets with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
D918
Route nationale 618 or RN 618 was a French national road linking Saint-Jean-de-Luz (on the Atlantic Ocean) to Argelès-sur-Mer (on the Mediterranean). En route it crossed many of the famous passes in the Pyrenees, immortalized by the Tour de France; hence its name was the "''Route of the Pyrénées''". In 1970, the road was down-graded and is now the RD 918 from Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Arreau and the RD 618 from Arreau to Argelès Plage. Itinerary The places named in ''italic'' are mountain passes used in the Tour de France. *Saint-Jean-de-Luz *Cambo-les-Bains *Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port ''Common with the former RN 133'' * Larceveau-Arros-Cibits *Mauléon-Licharre *Issor ''Common with RN 134'' *Lurbe-Saint-Christau *Arudy ''Common with the former RN 134BIS'' *Laruns *''Col d'Aubisque'' *'' Col du Soulor'' *Arrens-Marsous *Argelès-Gazost ''Common with the former RN 21'' *Luz-Saint-Sauveur *Barèges *''Col du Tourmalet'' *Sainte-Marie-de-Campan *''Col d'Aspin'' *Arreau *''Co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gascony
Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part of the combined Province of Guyenne and Gascony. The region is vaguely defined, and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; by some they are seen to overlap, while others consider Gascony a part of Guyenne. Most definitions put Gascony east and south of Bordeaux. It is currently divided between the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (departments of Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, southwestern Gironde, and southern Lot-et-Garonne) and the region of Occitanie (departments of Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées, southwestern Tarn-et-Garonne, and western Haute-Garonne). Gascony was historically inhabited by Basque-related people who appear to have spoken a language similar to Basque. The name Gascony comes from the same root as the word Basq ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hors Catégorie
''Hors catégorie'' (HC) is a French term used in stage bicycle races to designate a climb that is "beyond categorization". The term was originally used for those mountain roads where cars were not expected to be able to pass. The HC climb is the most difficult type of climb in a race. It is more demanding than a Category 1 climb which in turn is more demanding than a Category 2 climb and so on. The easiest category is Category 4. These five categories are defined by their steepness and length. In addition, their position on the route can play a role. For instance, a climb that would normally be a Category 1 climb can become a HC climb if it is the final climb of a stage. The average HC climb in the Tour de France from 2012 to 2016 is 16.1 kilometers long and has a grade of 7.4%. There are around 7 HC climbs per Tour.Analysis of categorized climbat Danskebjerge.dk/ref> History When the mountains classification in the Tour de France originated in the 1933 Tour de France, there w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bicycle Fork
A bicycle fork is the part of a bicycle that holds the front wheel. A fork typically consists of two ''blades'' which are joined at the top by a fork ''crown.'' The crown is often at the front. Most suspension forks have an arch connecting the two side of the lowers (the part connected to the axle.) It is often in front of the stanchions (shaft the lowers slide on) but not always. Above the crown, a ''steerer tube'' attaches the fork to the bicycle and the handlebars (via a stem) allowing the rider to steer the bicycle. The steerer tube of the fork interfaces with the frame via bearings called a headset mounted in the head tube. At the bottom of the fork, ''fork ends'' hold the wheel. Usually, either the axle is bolted to the fork, or a ''quick release skewer'' passes through a hollow axle, clamping the axle to the fork. The term ''fork'' is sometimes also used to describe the part of a bicycle that holds the rear wheel, which on 19th century ''ordinary'' or ''penny-farthin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eugène Christophe
Eugène Christophe (born Malakoff, Paris, France, 22 January 1885, died in Paris, 1 February 1970) was a French road bicycle racer and pioneer of cyclo-cross. He was a professional from 1904 until 1926. In 1919 he became the first rider to wear the yellow jersey of the Tour de France . Eugène Christophe rode 11 Tours de France and finished eight. He never won but he became famous for having to weld together his bicycle while leading. It was one of a series of events that coloured his racing career. Origins Eugène Christophe rode his first race when he was 18 and his last when he was 41 in 1926. He worked as a locksmith until racing took over his life. Tour de France The 1906 race The 1906 Tour de France was Christophe's first. He finished in ninth place behind Rene Pottier. The 1912 race In the 1912 Tour de France Christophe was denied victory by the system of awarding victory to the winner on points. Throughout the race he was the strongest rider, but the Belgians ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
General Classification In The Tour De France
The general classification is the most important classification, the one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification wears the yellow jersey (french: maillot jaune ). History The winner of the first Tour de France wore a green armband, not a yellow jersey. After the second Tour de France, the rules were changed, and the general classification was no longer calculated by time, but by points. This points system was kept until 1912, after which it changed back into the time classification. At that time, the leader still did not wear a yellow jersey. There is doubt over when the yellow jersey began. The Belgian rider Philippe Thys, who won the Tour in 1913, 1914 and 1920, recalled in the Belgian magazine ''Champions et Vedettes'' when he was 67 that he was awarded a yellow jersey in 1913 when the organiser, Henri Desgrange, asked him to wear a coloured jersey. Thys declined, saying making himself more visible in y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Octave Lapize
Octave Lapize (; 24 October 1887 – 14 July 1917) was a French professional road racing cyclist and track cyclist. Most famous for winning the 1910 Tour de France and a bronze medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics in the men's 100 kilometres, he was a three-time winner of one-day classics, Paris–Roubaix and Paris–Brussels. Career In his first Tour De France in 1909, he abandoned early due to wintery conditions during the month of July, but not before he managed a Stage 2 second place behind Tour winner Francois Faber. The following year he went head-to-head with Alcyon teammate Faber who led comfortably until colliding with a dog at the foot of the Pyrenees. Lapize finally won by just 4 points helped by a number of punctures to Faber's bike on the final stage from Caen to Paris. In a total of six starts in the Tour De France between 1909 and 1914, this victory was the only one he finished. While climbing the Col d'Aubsique (via the Col du Soulor and the Col de Tortes) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1910 Tour De France
The 1910 Tour de France was the eighth edition of the Tour de France, taking place 3 to 31 July. It consisted of 15 stages over , ridden at an average speed of 28.680 km/h. It was the first Tour to enter the Pyrenees mountains. Two main candidates for the victory were 1909 winner François Faber, a sprinter, and Octave Lapize, a climber, both members of the powerful Alcyon team. Because of the points system, their chances for the overall victory were approximately equal. The race was not decided until the final stage, after which Lapize had won by a difference of only four points. Innovations and changes The courses of the Tour de France in 1907, 1908 and 1909 had been nearly identical. In 1910, the Pyrenees were included, an initiative from Adolphe Steinès, who had drawn the course for the Tour de France since the first Tour in 1903. Compared to the 1907, 1908 and 1909 Tours, the stages Nîmes-Toulouse and Toulouse-Bayonne were replaced by three stages, Nîmes–Perpignan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tour De France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists of 21 stages, each a day long, over the course of 23 days, coinciding with the Bastille Day holiday. It is the oldest of the Grand Tours and generally considered the most prestigious. The race was first organized in 1903 to increase sales for the newspaper '' L'Auto'' and is currently run by the Amaury Sport Organisation. The race has been held annually since its first edition in 1903 except when it was stopped for the two World Wars. As the Tour gained prominence and popularity, the race was lengthened and its reach began to extend around the globe. Participation expanded from a primarily French field as more riders from all over the world began to participate in the race each year. The Tour is a UCI World Tour event, which means that th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jacques Goddet Memorial
Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over one hundred identified noble families related to the surname by the Nobility & Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland. Origins The origin of this surname ultimately originates from the Latin, Jacobus which belongs to an unknown progenitor. Jacobus comes from the Hebrew name, Yaakov, which translates as "one who follows" or "to follow after". Ancient history A French knight returning from the Crusades in the Holy Lands probably adopted the surname from "Saint Jacques" (or "James the Greater"). James the Greater was one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles, and is believed to be the first martyred apostle. Being endowed with this surname was an honor at the time and it is likely that the Church allowed it because of acts during the Crusades. Indeed, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pic Du Midi De Bigorre
The Pic du Midi de Bigorre or simply the Pic du Midi (elevation ) is a mountain in the French Pyrenees. It is the site of the Pic du Midi Observatory. Pic du Midi Observatory The Pic du Midi Observatory (french: Observatoire du Pic du Midi) is an astronomical observatory located at 2877 meters on top of the Pic du Midi de Bigorre in the French Pyrenees. It is part of the Midi-Pyrenees Observatory (french: Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées; OMP) which has additional research stations in the southwestern French towns of Tarbes, Lannemezan, and Auch, as well as many partnerships in South America, Africa, and Asia, due to the guardianship it receives from the French Research Institute for Development (IRD). Construction of the observatory began in 1878 under the auspices of the Société Ramond, but by 1882 the society decided that the spiralling costs were beyond its relatively modest means, and yielded the observatory to the French state, which took it into its possession by a l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mountain Pass Cycling Milestones
Mountain pass cycling milestones are signposts that provide cyclists with information about their current position with regard to the summit of the mountain pass. They always provide information for cyclists going uphill. Sometimes the signs are two-sided, thereby providing information also for cyclists going downhill. Mountain pass cycling milestones are particularly useful to cyclists that are not familiar with the climbs. In general, they allow cyclists to schedule breaks as well as to plan food and liquid uptake. They furthermore can serve as motivational landmarks. Local institutions invest in this cycling infrastructure to offer service to cyclists, thus promoting tourism in their region. Type of information Mountain pass cycling milestones always carry a pictogram of a bicycle or cyclist and specify the following standard information * name of mountain pass * altitude * distance to summit * average slope in the following section of the pass Additional information found ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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