"Best Cycling in the French Pyrenees"

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Best of the Pyrenees - Cycling and Travel Quizzes and Info

The 5 most memorable stages of the Tour de France in the Pyrenees:

• Stage 15 of the 2003 Tour de France
  Lance Armstrong crashes on the climb to Luz-Ardiden. Riding with a broken pedal, he catches Jan Ullrich and drops him and Iban Mayo to win the stage.

"Nobody believed I was able to do that after the crash. But I was a desperate man, and I knew that was my last chance to win the Tour de France." Lance Armstrong

This great clip also shows the Basque fans who came to support Mayo and Zubeldia:

Here is another good video featuring Stage 15 and the 2003 Tour de France on OLN with English comments, and a written description of Stage 15 of the 2003 Tour de France.

• Stage 10 of the 2000 Tour de France
  Lance Armstrong crushes Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani on Hautacam

One of the most inspiring moments in the history of the Tour de France is probably the one featured in this video clip. At the time, one-time winner of the Tour de France Lance Armstrong was better known for his time trial than climbing abilities. It is on Hautacam by crushing famous climbers Jan Ullrich, Marco Pantani, Roberto Heras and Alex Zulle and taking nearly 10 minutes back on Javier Ochoa that Armstrong signed his victory on his 2nd Tour de France.

• Stage 16 of the 1996 Tour de France
  Miguel Indurain, 5-time winner of the TDF cracks on Hautacam and looses the 1996 Tour to Bjarne Riis (French video).

In the next stage 17 from Argeles-Gazost to Pamplona after climbing Col d'Aubisque and Col du Soudet it is on the steep Port de Larrau that Miguel Indurain will accuse the strongest loss of his career and that Bjarn Riis took a firm grip on the yellow jersey to win the Tour. But maybe Indurain deserved to win the 1996 tour as  Riss recently admitted to having doped, and Indurain's fans wonder if he couldn't have won another tour against a clean opponent.

• Stage 17 of the 1969 Tour de France
  Eddie Merckx breaks away on Tourmalet and extends his lead on Aubisque to win the first of a series of stages and the 1969 Tour de France.

This most amazing Stage from Luchon to Mourenx (old French video) through the "Circle of Death" (the hardest day in the Pyrenees that often defines the winner or loser of the TDF) saw a young Eddie Merckx "the Cannibal" extend his lead by 7'56" over the other leaders after climbing Col de Peyresourde, Col d'Aspin, and breaking away on Col du Tourmalet, to finish 130 kilometers solo over Col d'Aubisque and into the village of Mourenx. This is one of the greatest cycling accomplishments in the history of the Tour realized on a stage that follows the same mountain itinerary featured on Stage 16 in this year's (2010) Tour de France. Will Alberto Contador ever dare and be able to break on Tourmalet and ride solo all the way to Pau, or will Lance Armstrong make history again?

• Stage 10 of the 1989 Tour de France
  Greg Lemond Cracks on Superbagnères loosing the yellow jersey to Laurent Fignon. Pedro Delgado takes over 3 minutes on the leaders to return in the 4th position in the general classification and Robert Millar wins the stage (old very low resolution video).

Email me to share your thoughts about other memorable stages of the Tour de France in the Pyrenees, and tell me if you know of other great videos of the TDF in the Pyrenees.

Take an amazing exclusive tour to watch this year's Tour de France and ride some of the best climbs in the Pyrenees.

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