I Heart Cols, Du Tourmalet T-Shirt, White

Ref: TS3W90

Price: £12.95 / €16.19 (Including  at 20%)

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A celebration of sone certain Cols to get the heart racing. First up is the Col de Marie-Blanque (1035m). Not the highest but the gradient of the last 4km are going to hurt. Next is the Col Du Soulor (1474m), don't take the easy route.The route takes on it's toughest side.Then the giant of the Col Du Tourmalet (2115m). It has been included in the Tour more than any other mountain.

The Col du Tourmalet is one of the most well known and feared climbs of the Tour de France. It has been a part of the Tour since 1910 when Octave Lapize was the first rider over the Col, going on to claim the yellow jersey in Paris. Lapize also saw fit to tell the organisers of this Tourmalet stage that they were 'murderers'...... "Vous etes des assassins! Oui, des assassins!'.
Remember at this time there were hardly proper roads it was more like tracks and mud. Lapize was one of the most talented riders of his generation. He also won Paris Roubaix. He died as a fighter pilot at the age of 27. There is a memorial to him at the Tourmalet.

During the 1913 Tour, it was on the descent that Eugene Christophe broke his front fork. According to the then rules of the TdF he had to repair the damage himself, so he carried his bicycle 14 kilometers to the nearest village, Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, where he found a blacksmith's and began to forge the needed piece himself.
It took him two hours.He rejoined the Tour but was penalized an extra three minutes for allowing a boy to work the bellows while Christophe had both hands full hammering and making the new fork. Christophe finished that Tour in seventh place.

Many of the greats have led the Tour over the top of the Col....Coppi in 1949, Merckx in '69 and we will never forget the great Robert Millar in '89.

Hand screen printed in London using water based eco-friendly inks on to pure cotton.
The Tees are true to size, not too tight or loose, buy your normal size.