Description

Octave Lapize

Is most famous for winning the 1910 Tour de France and a bronze medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics in the men’s 100 kilometers, he was a three-time winner of one-day classics, Paris–Roubaix and Paris–Brussels.

Career

In his first Tour De France in 1909, he abandoned early due to wintery conditions during the month of July, but not before he managed a Stage 2 second place behind Tour winner Francois Faber. The following year he went head-to-head with Alcyon teammate Faber who led comfortably until colliding with a dog at the foot of the Pyrenees. Lapize finally won by just 4 points, helped by a number of punctures to Faber’s bike on the final stage from Caen to Paris. In a total of six starts in the Tour De France between 1909 and 1914, this victory was the only one he finished.

While climbing the Col d’Aubsique (via the Col du Soulor and the Col de Tortes) in the 1910 Tour de France, he is reported to have said to the race organizers: “Vous êtes des criminels!”‘ (French for ‘You are criminals!’)”.  Later, at the stage finish in Bayonne, he is reported to have told a reporter that “Desgrange est un assassin” said (French for ‘Desgrange is a murderer!”)The stage in question was 326 kilometers in length and featured the climbs of the Col de Peyresourde, Col d’Aspin, Col du Tourmalet, Col du Soulor, Col de Tortes, and the Col d’Aubisque. Lapize won the stage.

The First World War ended his cycling career. As a fighter pilot in the French army, Octave Lapize was shot down near Flirey, Meurthe-et-Moselle, on 14 July 1917. Fatally wounded, he died in a hospital in Toul.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

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Cyrille van Hauwaert

Cyrille Van Hauwaert (Moorslede, 16 December 1883 – Zellik, 15 February 1974) was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer, known for winning classics as Bordeaux–Paris (1907 and 1909), Milan–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix (both 1908). In 1909 he won the first stage of the Tour de France and was leading the general classification for one day.

In 1908, prior to winning Milan–San Remo, Van Hauwaert had traveled by bike from Belgium to the start in Milan, by means of training.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

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Émile Georget

Geroget competed in the Tour de France nine times over his career.  He finished third at the Tour two times (1907, 1911) and won nine stages. During his career, he was the French Champion in 1910, won Bordeaux-Paris in 1910 & 1912, and won Paris-Brest-Paris in 1911.

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