Octave Lapize was 29 when he fell in front of Verdun on July 14, 1917, Sergeant Lapize was shot five times in the body while piloting his plane, which had drawn a Rooster in the fuselage and a huge number four, in memory of dorsal exhibited in 1910, when at 22 year won the Tour.
made history by becoming the first runner who topped the Tourmalet. That was an impressive feat.
Luchon stage left and went to Bayonne, after 326 miles and just over 14 hours of pedaling, the incredible average, taking into account the age of 23 kilometers per hour. Lapize had to be part of the climb the Tourmalet and the Aubisque on foot, since he could not balance because of the huge boulders that hindered the route.
The day after his feat was rest day. Lapize passed it inside his room with his feet bloody and swollen. Cooling it sought relief in a bowl with salt and vinegar. Also killed in the war Lucien Petit-Breton, winner of the 1907 and 1908 Tours, and François Faber, winner in the edition of 1909, he enlisted in the Foreign Legion.
won the Tour de France 1910 in the only year they managed to finish the race. Among his achievements, in addition to this victory, the victory stands out in three consecutive editions of Paris-Roubaix, and four national championships in road, three professional and one amateur category. He also earned a bronze medal in the road race of the 1908 Olympics and broke the hour record in various ways.
His deafness cruel handicap prevented him from communicating with journalists who recounted their exploits in detail but they could not interview him, this led it to be excluded from military service in 1907 and he would have avoided going to war if Rome had not stirred in order to become enrolled Santiago as vuluntario, with the tragic end we know.
athlete It was a beautifully proportioned, small stature (1.65 m) but with a large muscle, a class and an unusual character.
Henri Desgranges, in "L'Auto" left their impressions on the "curls", just days after his victory in Paris-Roubaix: I have before my eyes Lapize photography. It has all the earmarks of a great wheeler: the face vigorous, strong jaw, stare, pointed mustache, as befits a "horse" named after long hours of suffering on the road, throwing kisses to the girls beautiful, big chest, legs well established, powerful thighs and powerful hands capable of bending the handlebars all the world when it supports them in the climbs. OCTAVE
pencil and Aubisque
Octave Lapize go down in history elected via an immortal phrase.
In 1910 he was to celebrate the seventh edition of the successful career of fools called the Tour de France. Up that moment all the phases were almost flat but promoted few ports had gathered a huge amount of public. Henry
Desgranges, head of Tour organizer and newspaper, L'Auto, met in the spring of that year to his colleagues to decide new scenarios that will further increase interest in the race. His collaborator and journalist Alphonse Steines suggested that the race crossed the Pyrenees, at that time an uninhabited area, inhospitable, with dilapidated roads and bears roam freely through the summits.
Desgranges flatly refused at first, but finally agreed on condition that Steiner was able to walk, drive, all the way to the future stage.
The Peyresourde and the Aspin could pass without problems and the Aubisque got a financial commitment to condition the road Desgranges. The natives warned him to be removed from the head the Tourmalet, completely impractical, but Stein, stubborn, rented a car and driver and set out to cross the Col du Tourmalet, of Sainte Marie de Campan to Barèges.
In spring, the top of the Tourmalet was completely covered by snow. The driver, startled by the ice from the road, four kilometers from the summit refused to continue. Steines was not discouraged, and though darkness fell continued his journey on foot.
The sun was setting in the valley when, exhausted and alone, reached 2115 meters from the port. Without entertainment, began the descent into Barèges.
Imagine the silence, the crackle of the snow that covers the knees, the cold, the suspect bears stalking the dark, hidden ravines, the dread of a Parisian lost 2,000 meters in uncharted territory and wild .
After a few hours down in the dark, cold and dead tired, a raid organized by the driver found him, faint, near near the town of Barèges. It was three o'clock. But Steiner was a crazy Tour.
The next morning, without fault, Desgranges sent a telegram to inform him if the situation: After the Tourmalet. Road in good condition. Perfectly practicable. Steiner.
On July 21, 1910 was held the tenth stage of Tour de France, Luchon-Bayonne 327km with the ports of Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet, and Osquich Aubisque.
Octave Lapize, the eventual winner of the Tour, attacked like crazy just after departure. At the wheel was two corridors, Garrigou and Lafourcade. All three were up and down together each of the ports in that wild and unknown territory to the foot of the Aubisque terrifying. There Lapize and Garrigou, exhausted, collapsed and could not prevent Lafourcade cogiera them advantage.
tumbling to Whip up a foot in many places, Lapize could crown the summit on the verge of choking with fourteen minutes late. At the top was a member of the organization controlling the passage of the runners. I glared Lapize, threw the bike to the ground and stomped it was to confront him. Grabbed him by the lapels, accumulated air in their lungs tired and his nose a foot spat: Murderers, murderers are you about! But Lapize finished the 177km stage remaining.
He recovered, chased and won in Bayonne Lafourcade. The other runners were coming in dropper for hours in a state that some had to bring in arms to the shelters.
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