In homage to one of the most famous stages of the Tour de France, Cyclist takes on five legendary passes for one mammoth day in the Pyrenees
Words JAMIE WILKINS Photography CHRIS STORRAR
There is no more famous a chain of mountains in cycling than the Circle of Death. More a jagged line than a circle, the chain connects the Col d’Aubisque, Col du Soulor, Col du Tourmalet, Col d’Aspin and Col de Peyresourde, running through the heart of the French Pyrenees. It totals over 5,000m of climbing and a version of this route has featured in the Tour de France an incredible 45 times.
To a great extent, the creation of this five-piece was geographically determined – the Pyrenees is a narrow mountain range and if you want to go over the high points, as opposed to around them, this is the only way. Indeed, the Col du Tourmalet will make its 90th appearance in the Tour de France this summer, explaining its nickname of ‘L’incontournable’, the unavoidable. The Tour de France Femmes and Vuelta a España will both visit too.
The Tour debuted this mighty combination in 1910 on the first ever high-mountain stage, running the other way, before the entire Grand Boucle reversed direction from 1913. As the race began to modernise in 1930 and leave behind its ultra-endurance origins, stage distances were reduced and routes varied more often. The Circle of Death, however, continued to appear in its entirety and was the scene of some iconic performances, including solo, Tour-winning raids by Jean Robic in 1947 and Eddy Merckx in 1969 – the former a come-from-behind GC flip, the latter an emphatic stamp of authority on a race already gripped by the jugular.
Forty years ago this summer, another historic moment took place on these roads. A young Scottish rider, Pippa York (then known as Robert Millar), on her Tour debut, joined a powerful breakaway group of GC riders and climbers. As it was whittled down over the successive climbs, she remained near the front. On the Col de Peyresourde she attacked near the summit, bombed the descent and in Bagnères-de-Luchon took the first Tour stage win by a British rider against GC opposition. Before her, Brian Robinson (2), Barry Hoban (8) and Michael Wright (3) had won stages from sprints or breaks, but this was different. (Turn to p74 for our profile of Pippa York.)
These days, the ‘Circle of Death’ title is given to the major Pyrenean stage of the Tour, regardless of direction or climbs included. But our ride today i
