The return to the Puy-de-Dôme 35 years after the last stage finish atop the iconic climb that overlooks Clermont-Ferrand is not exactly made for remembering Johnny Weltz who won there in 1988. He was a pioneer for Danish cycling and sees the fruits of his legacy with his young compatriot Mads Pedersen winning in Limoges while Jonas Vingegaard is in the yellow jersey. The 110th Tour de France might see a thrilling duel between the defending champion and his predecessor Tadej Pogacar and that’s what Puy-de-Dôme is mostly remembered for: the elbow-to-elbow featuring Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor in 1964. Symbolically, stage 9 starts from Poupou’s village Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat. His grand-son Mathieu van der Poel will for sure feel something special. He doesn’t have the mission to lead Jasper Philipsen out anymore so he might invent some tactics likely to upset the GC favourites, shall they had in mind to deliver a remake of 1964. By the way, stage 20 from Brive that year wasn’t won by Poulidor but Spain’s Julio Jimenez over his compatriot Federico Bahamontès, so there’s room for everyone on the giant of the Auvergne region, even though the road is narrow…
