Seven curious things to know about Tourmalet.
The backstories on the icon climb about to reshape the 2026 Tour de France GC standings.
Perhaps Tadej Pogacar was laying in his hotel bed last night, post-massage, pondering these gems of cycling history on the feared Tourmalet. Or maybe not, maybe he’s just getting a good nights sleep like any smart person trying to score his fifth record-tying Tour de France victory. (Sorry, Lance Armstrong, you cheated, even though you’re now inexplicably a NBC pundit on Tour coverage.)
So, here we go, while our minds and legs are still fresh. Here’s what AI generated and what I re-worked in my own inimitable style. Cause Chat is predictable and bland and has zero sense of humor …
1. Goat track bound for glory
“Before the Tour de France arrived, the Col du Tourmalet was a rough shepherds’ path used to move livestock between valleys in the High Pyrenees.” This means, little mountain goats, not the emaciated, high wattage climber goats. Apparently race organizers convinced local authorities to invest money ( a measly 3,000 francs) to convert this rocky trail into a Tour-worthy road. Goat track transforms into iconic climb. That’s MONEY!
2. Alphonse Steines’ near‑death recon
“To convince Henri Desgrange to use the Tourmalet, journalist Alphonse Steines went to scout the climb himself in winter conditions and nearly died trying. He got lost in deep snow and had to be rescued, but still sent a famously understated telegram back to Paris: Crossed Tourmalet stop. Very good road stop. Perfectly feasible.” That was all Chat and by golly, you can’t top that crazy shit. Let’s see how many riders agree it’s a “good road” today. Probably zero except for Pogacar and Vingegaard.
3. 1910: Octave Lapize, “Assassins!”
I’ve hear this story before and it’s a good one. “The Tourmalet’s first appearance in 1910 marked the Tour de France’s entry into true high‑mountain racing, sending riders above 2,000 meters for the first time. On that legendary stage, Octave Lapize crested the Tourmalet first, but he was so enraged by the brutality of the route that he shouted “Vous êtes des assassins!” (“You are murderers!”) Well, again, can’t beat the algorithm. But man, what horrifying pain because it’s the math that kills you: Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet, and Aubisque, in this case. And no carbon frames or ice cubes.
4. Eugène Christophe & the blacksmith’s forge
Who doesn’t love a blacksmith story? We speak of Eugène Christophe’s broken fork incident in 1913. “He was struck by a vehicle and snapped his fork—no neutral service cars and no spare bikes in that era. Christophe carried his damaged bike down to a forge in the nearby town and, using his skills as a blacksmith, repaired the fork himself.” I would add he probably downed a few free glasses of local red wine because, Jesus, that’s a lot of work. He lost his chance at victory but did win a place in top ten Tourmalet anecdotes.
5. Ghosts on the mountain
Who does not appreciate aTour ghost story? “Near the summit you’ll find a statue of Octave Lapize, frozen mid‑effort, a reminder of that 1910 “assassins” stage and of the riders who first dragged road racing into the high mountains. There is also the Souvenir Jacques Goddet, a prize and memorial honoring the long‑time Tour director whose era solidified the race’s modern identity.” We always need history to remind us that the Tour de France has always been a nasty bitch. But also beautiful and willing to bestow gifts to the worthy.
6. French cultural symbol
I’m sure that all the top Tour climbers are going to be musing on this halfway up the Tourmalet. That is, when they’re not saying, “Oh Fuck.” “French climbers in particular seem to treat it as sacred ground, and victories there, like Thibaut Pinot’s emotional win in 2019, carry extra weight because they’re seen as reclaiming a national monument in front of home crowds.” Hey, really hope Decathlon’s new hero Paul Seixas is reading this. Somebody send him a link!!!
7. The most climbed pass in Tour history
Well doesn’t this sound exhausting? Chat, talk to me. “The Tourmalet has been included more often than any other mountain pass in the Tour’s history, from its 1910 debut through countless modern editions. Both its eastern and western approaches are long, averaging around seven percent for roughly 17–19 km, but it’s the accumulation over many Tours that matters: more yellow jerseys have been attacked, defended, or lost on its slopes than anywhere else in the Pyrenees."
All that to say, we have a bad ass, monster day in the Pyrenees today. We hope for a spirited battle between Pogacar and Vingegaard — and whoever else isn’t afraid of the Tourmalet stories.