Octave Lapize (pronounced [ɔktav lapiz]; 24 October 1887 – 14 July 1917) was a French professional road racing cyclist and track cyclist.[1]

Octave Lapize
Personal information
Full nameOctave Lapize
NicknameTatave
Le Frisé (The Curly Haired-One)
Born(1887-10-24)24 October 1887
Paris, France
Died14 July 1917(1917-07-14) (aged 29)
Toul, France
Team information
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Major wins
Grand Tours
Tour de France
General classification (1910)
6 individual stages (1910, 1912, 1914)

One-day races and Classics

Paris–Roubaix (1909, 1910, 1911)
Paris–Tours (1911)
Paris–Brussels (1911, 1912, 1913)
Medal record
Representing  France
Men's track cycling
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1908 London 100 kilometres

Most famous for winning the 1910 Tour de France and a bronze medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics in the men's 100 kilometres,[2] he was a three-time winner of one-day classics, Paris–Roubaix and Paris–Brussels.

Career

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In his first Tour De France in 1909, he abandoned early due to wintery conditions during the month of July, but not before he managed a Stage 2 second place behind Tour winner Francois Faber. The following year he went head-to-head with Alcyon teammate Faber who led comfortably until colliding with a dog at the foot of the Pyrenees. Lapize finally won by just 4 points helped by a number of punctures to Faber's bike on the final stage from Caen to Paris. In a total of six starts in the Tour De France between 1909 and 1914, this victory was the only one he finished.

While climbing the Col d'Aubsique (via the Col du Soulor and the Col de Tortes) in the 1910 Tour de France he is reported to have said to the race organisers: "Vous êtes des criminels !"' (French for 'You are criminals!')"[3] Later, at the stage finish in Bayonne, he is reported to have told a reporter that "Desgrange est un assassin"said (French for 'Desgrange is a murderer!")[3] The stage in question was 326 kilometers in length and featured the climbs of the Col de Peyresourde, Col d'Aspin, Col du Tourmalet, Col du Soulor, Col de Tortes and the Col d'Aubisque.[3] Lapize won the stage.[3]

The First World War ended his cycling career. As a fighter pilot in the French army, Octave Lapize was shot down near Flirey, Meurthe-et-Moselle on 14 July 1917. Fatally wounded, he died in a hospital in Toul.[4]

Career achievements

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Major results

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1908
Summer Olympics Men's 100 kilometres - Bronze Medal
1909
Paris–Roubaix, 1st Place
1910
Tour de France -  1st Overall and 4 stage wins (Stage 5, 9, 10, 14)
Paris–Roubaix, 1st Place
1911
Paris–Roubaix, 1st Place
Paris–Tours, 1st Place
Paris–Brussels, 1st Place
 French National Championships, 1st Place
1912
Tour de France - Stage 6 win
Paris–Brussels, 1st Place
 French National Championships, 1st Place
1913
Paris–Brussels, 1st Place
 French National Championships, 1st Place
1914
Tour de France - Stage 8 win

Grand Tour results

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1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914
Giro d'Italia DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE
Stages won
Tour de France DNF-4 1 DNF-4 DNF-9 DNF-3 DNF-10
Stages won 0 4 0 1 0 1
Vuelta a España N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Stages won
Legend
1 Winner
2–3 Top three-finish
4–10 Top ten-finish
11– Other finish
DNE Did not enter
DNF-x Did not finish (retired on stage x)
DNS-x Did not start (not started on stage x)
HD Finished outside time limit (occurred on stage x)
DSQ Disqualified
N/A Race/classification not held
NR Not ranked in this classification

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Octave Lapize". Olympedia. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Octave Lapize Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
  3. ^ a b c d McKay, Feargal (2022-07-04). "Mythologies: Assassins of the Aubisque!". Podium Cafe. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  4. ^ "Olympians Who Were Killed or Missing in Action or Died as a Result of War". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2015.

Further reading

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