cycling, eugene christophe, tour de france



“I was weeping so badly that I couldn’t see anything.” ~ Eugene Christophe

Today’s Tour de France stage climbs the Col du Tourmalet taking us back to 1913 and Eugene Cristophe’s heroism and perseverance on the legendary mountain.

Entering the race as the tour favorite, Christophe was proving the odds right as he began the day. His Peugeot team set a blistering pace, dropping their rivals as they arrived at the foot of the climb. Halfway up, the Belgian, Phillipe Thys was the closest racer, following Christophe at a few hundred meters distance.

Unfortunately, Christophe had an accident resulting in a broken fork. Weeping, he set off on foot, carrying his bike, walking eight and a half miles to Sainte-Marie-de-Campan where he found a blacksmith’s forge. Not allowed to accept help from outsiders, Christophe built himself another fork and finished the stage within the time limit. The race officials assessed a ten minute time penalty. Christophe had allowed a seven year old boy to work the bellows on the forge.

Christophe went on to finish seventh in Paris.

Here’s to you, Christophe. A true hero of cycling’s past.