The Lure of
the Pyrenees
w
July 2017| 129
Capping the Iberian Peninsula
ith their familiar abrupt sweep; the Pyrenees
form a natural barrier stretching from the
Atlantic to the Mediterranean, and are as
fundamental to the geography of Europe
as the Alps or the continental divide of the Bosphorus.
Crossed and re-crossed, contested and claimed for
centuries the range has been important to civilisations
which have risen and fallen as the mountains held firm.
e finished the stage, but received a time penalty for
allowing the blacksmith’s apprentice to work the forge
bellows and entered Tour folklore as a result. A tribute
to Christophe’s stoicism today adorns the building which
once housed the fateful forge in the picturesque Campan
valley – worth a visit.
First navigated by the Romans and later breached by
the Moors, this ebb and ow has finally settled the range
astride the border of modern Spain and France, where
beautiful wooded valleys, crystal trout streams and
dramatic amphitheatres of rock characterise the French
side.
For the last century or so, the hot slopes of the Pyrenees
have been writing their own piece of history each summer
as they play host to the Tour de rance.
Giant reputation
n
, tour organiser enri esgrange first made
the tentative decision to send the riders into the high
mountains, still unsure whether it was humanly possible
to cycle the rough passes, and the Pyrenees claimed their
integral role. Octave api e went down in Tour history by
branding the organisers “assassins” (murderers) as the
mighty Col du Tourmalet was crossed for the very first
time, then, in
, the Tourmalet and the yrenean
legend was cemented courtesy of the heroic Eugene
Christophe.
aving broken his fork on the Tourmalet descent,
Christophe picked up his bike, ran down to the hamlet of
Sainte Marie de Campan and spent several hours
re-forging the broken part at the local blacksmith s.
The yrenees hold a mystique for road cyclists which
draws people to them, however, it is still possible to
easily access high wild places, and common to find
yourself on an empty road; most importantly, it is
possible to experience the stunning surroundings without
experiencing the depths of suffering of the original or
current Tour riders unless you want to! . olling plains
and foothills rise abruptly into the high peaks, meaning a
variety of different routes are within easy reach.
Allons – y – Pyrenees
provides the perfect location to get out and explore
them. Challenge yourself one day; allow miles of scenic
at terrain to roll past the next. Whatever the day s
efforts on or off the bike have entailed, the endless pool
awaits for loosening off, cooling down, or simply to sit by
with a well-earned cold one before a great meal.