First Tour de France mountain stage steeped in history: “Streetview” of final climb

Update: “Tour favorites reshuffled in first mountain stage”

Well, that would be today, Stage 12, when the 177 remaining cyclists enter the Pyrenees.

They'll be greeted by one Category 1 and two above-category ascents, one a mountain-top finish on the 211km (130-mile) route from Cugnaux to Luz-Ardiden: La Hourquette d’Ancizan — Category 1; Col du Tourmalet — hors catégorie; and Luz-Ardiden — hors catégorie.

This is the first time that the Tour has visited Hourquette d'Ancizan. It's surprising that there's a mountain pass that Tour cyclists have yet to pass over.

By contrast, Col du Tourmalet is the most frequently included mountain pass in the Tour de France. Starting in 1910, it has been crossed 75 times before today. On its 100 anniversary, cyclists passed over it twice and finished at the summit.

The first cyclist over the summit in 1910 was Octave Lapize. He won the race that year. He's honored with a statue of him gasping for oxygen.

Luz-Ardiden

The Luz-Ardiden hasn't been seen at the Tour since 2003, but it has been viewed thousands of times in Tour de France replays since that time.

Lance Armstrong made it famous in a fall when he snagged a souvenir musette held by a spectator.

He picked himself up and pedaled off, only to have his foot slip out of the pedal and bang down on the cross bar. Owee.

Here it is again, in an old OLN interview between Armstrong and Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen. In it, Armstrong says that Jan Ullrich — demonized over the years for not waiting — did slow down for Armstrong.

Below is the “streetsview” tour of the mountain-top finish at Luz-Ardiden provided by Cycling the Alps website (check there for 3D tours, streetviews, profiles and cycling games of all the climbs). Hit play and you're right there in the peloton. Follow these links for a 3D Tour of the climb and a profile.