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France

Great East

Épinal

Saint-Maurice-Sur-Moselle

Borne René Pottier

Discover

Places to see

France

Great East

Épinal

Saint-Maurice-Sur-Moselle

Borne René Pottier

Recommended by 40 road cyclists out of 41

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Location: Saint-Maurice-Sur-Moselle, Épinal, Great East, France

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Best Road Cycling Rides to Borne René Pottier

4.5

(22)

937

riders

1. The Ascent of Ballon d'Alsace — Loop from Malsaucy

72.9km

03:45

1,150m

Expert road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Expert

5.0

(1)

riders

2. Rue du Ballon d'Alsace. – Ballon d'Alsace loop from Le Thillot

52.7km

03:02

1,250m

Expert road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Expert

4.8

(13)

494

riders

3. Col du Ballon d'Alsace – Ballon d'Alsace loop from Trois-Chênes

57.6km

02:51

830m

Intermediate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Intermediate

Tips

Jörg⚖️🗡🙈

July 7, 2023

René Pottier was the first to cross the Ballon d'Alsace in the Tour de France in 1905 (supposedly at an average speed of 20 km/h) and thus became cycling's first unofficial mountain king. In his honor, a stone with an inscription and his photo was placed at the top of the Ballon d'Alsace pass. However, in 1905 he did not win the stage over the mountain or the Tour de France itself - he had to retire due to an injury. In 1906 René came back, was first at the top of the pass again and was then also at the front in Paris. In his Tour victory he also won five stages, four of them in a row. Perhaps he could have repeated his success more times. In January 1907, just six months after his Tour triumph, Pottier took his own life by hanging himself in the garage of the bicycle factory whose bikes he rode. Employees found him hanging on the hook where his bike used to hang. Lovesickness was assumed to be the reason. He was 27 years old.

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Jeroen

December 9, 2023

René Pottier (Moret-sur-Loing, June 5, 1879 - Levallois-Perret, January 25, 1907) is considered the first climber in the history of the Tour de France. He turned professional in 1904; at that time he already had a victory in Paris-Roubaix and an attack on the world hour record to his name.

Pottier first participated in the Tour de France in 1905 (see Tour de France 1905). That year, in the third Tour, serious climbs were included in the course for the first time. Pottier attacked in the second stage on the highest mountain of that year, the Ballon d'Alsace (1247 m). He finished second in the stage and leader in the general classification. However, due to a collision with a fan in which he sprained his ankle, he had to abandon the next stage.

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Elevation 1,170 m

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Friday 19 September

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Max wind speed: 5.0 km/h

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Location: Saint-Maurice-Sur-Moselle, Épinal, Great East, France

Borne René Pottier

1. The Ascent of Ballon d'Alsace — Loop from Malsaucy

2. Rue du Ballon d'Alsace. – Ballon d'Alsace loop from Le Thillot

3. Col du Ballon d'Alsace – Ballon d'Alsace loop from Trois-Chênes

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