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Tourmalet Exhibition

By Joe Hall • 24th June 2010 04:29pm • Posted in Cycle Club

Rapha Cycle Club LDN is currently running an exhibition celebrating the centenary of the Col du Tourmalet.

On 21st July 1910, Stage 10 of the Tour travelled over the Col du Tourmalet for the first time. It was Alphonse Steinès, wingman to Tour founder Henri Desgrange, who first suggested the race send riders over the Giant of the Pyrenees. As well as bikes from circa 1910 the exhibition contains the notebooks of Alphonse Steinès.

In early 1910, Steinès had undertaken a reconnaissance of the mountain. Having stopped his car four kilometres from the summit, he continued on foot. Rumour has it he retuned to Barèges on the western side of the Tourmalet with hypothermia, having escaped the clutches of a bear, to send a telegram from the gendarme station to Desgrange in Paris, which read:

PASSE TOURMALET. STOP. TRES BONNE ROUTE. STOP. PARFAITEMENT PASSABLE. STOP. SIGNE: Steinès.

This "Perfectly Acceptable" mountain would then go on to feature more times than any other climb in the history of the Grand Boucle.

We have also just launched the Tourmalet Jersey, a commemorative piece that nods towards Steinès, the "father of the mountains", and Octave "Curly" Lapize, the victor of that infamous stage over the Tourmalet and overall winner of the 1910 Tour.

In honour of Lapize, Steinès and the Col du Tourmalet, Rapha organised the 1910 Challenge ride - a 326km journey taking in the Aubisque, Peyresourde, Soulor and, of course, the Tourmalet. Four intrepid/mad riders relived the route of stage 10 of the Tour from 100 years ago. The exhibition also shows a short film recounting this monstrous tribute ride.

You can read more about the 1910 Challenge here »

Comments

Dave Wyman

26th June 2010 09:09pm

Bring the exhibition to Los Angeles - perhaps to the Paul Smith store, especially since it's only a few minute's ride from my home. It would be a perfect compliment to last year's Favorite Shirts exhibition.

I have a mini-Tourmalet - also a few minutes from my home - the ride up the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook, a somewhat new part of the state park system which offers a stupendous view over much of the city. While it's just 1k, the road averages 10% over the 96m rise.

With major chunks at 13%, most cyclists are content with 1x to the top. Ten non-stop times up yesterday – in my Rapha Club jersey – gave me 960m and ten mini-Tourmalets.

Joe Hall

28th June 2010 04:53pm

Chapeu, Dave. 13% is steep enough for even the most hardened grimpeur… The Marie Blanque - down the road from the Tourmalet - has a 13% average for 1km…

I'm sure we will bring Rapha to Los Angeles very soon.

Charles Pearch

28th June 2010 10:12pm

Joe, technically did Steines actually use the word "passable". Where did you get that from? If he did I would love to know. Many thanks Charlie

Joe Hall

29th June 2010 12:57pm

Hi Charlie
Firstly congrats on RAAM, how was it?
Secondly, the translation of a telegram written 100 years ago is open to debate. Parfaitement passable translates as "perfectly acceptable". I don't know where Graeme and co. found this translation (as they designed the jersey), but we all know what it represents! Good luck with the Etape.
Cheers

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