S11 Ep79: Kilometre 0 – Le Puy de Prudhomme

<div>On Sunday, the Tour de France will return to Le Puy de Dôme for the first time in 35 years.<br> <br> The volcano in the Massif Central was first visited by the race in 1952. Fausto Coppi, who had won the Tour's first-ever summit finish at Alpe d'Huez a couple of weeks earlier, took the stage.<br> <br> In 1964, it was the scene of a famous duel between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor as the two brushed shoulders in their battle for the yellow jersey.<br> <br> Eleven years later, in 1975, a spectator punched Eddy Merckx which effectively ended the Belgian's long reign as the undisputed best rider in the world.<br> <br> The final visit, in 1988, saw a win by Denmark's Johnny Weltz but after the stage there was chaos with tens of thousands of fans trying to get off the mountain.<br> <br> A funicular railway was installed, narrowing the road and the climb was closed even to amateur cyclists making it very difficult for the Tour to return.<br> <br> But race director, Christian Prudhomme has long harboured a dream to take the Tour back. Even though the climb will be closed to spectators, it promises to be a special day.<br> <br> In this episode we hear from Prudhomme, local rider Remi Cavagna of Soudal-Quick Step, climber Dan Martin and the last man to win on the volcano, Johnny Weltz.<br> <br> </div>