Alone On A Mountain

- Jeremy Whittle

On July 13, the 2017 Tour de France will head into the high, green pastures of the Pyrenees. On the same day, on the other side of the country, in the Vaucluse, a pilgrimage of sorts will take place, as family, friends and admirers of the late Tom Simpson gather at the foot of Mont Ventoux to mark the 50th anniversary of his death.

You will know, of course, that Simpson collapsed and died near the summit of the Ventoux during the 1967 Tour. You will know too that his name is ever associated with a culture of amphetamine abuse that characterised racing in the 50s and 60s.

Simpson’s death, as he rode up L’Equipe’s ‘killer mountain,’ is one of the most renowned episodes in Tour history. The Simpson monument, below the mountain’s summit, is visited by thousands of fans.