Tadej Pogacar raved about a “crazy atmosphere”, whilst John Degenkolb simply called it “amazing”. More than half a million cycling fans turned the legendary final climb on the 19th stage of the Tour de France – with its 21 world-famous hairpin bends leading up to the cycling mecca of Alpe d’Huez – into a huge open-air party.
As the stars of the sport made their way up the hill, the crowd lining the route left them just a narrow passage. “That was a real adventure, unbelievable,” said German professional cyclist Michel Heßmann on ARD. Thousands of fans had already spent the night in tents and caravans on the slopes; in places along the route, the atmosphere was like that at Megapark in Mallorca.
Danes ‘incredibly loud and drunk’
Turn seven has always been known as the ‘Dutch Corner’. This is where the Oranje fans traditionally celebrate – though apparently not quite as wildly this time. “I’d imagined the Dutch stand would be more intense, but it was the Danes who were extreme. They were unbelievably loud – and, of course, all of them were unbelievably drunk. Good for them. Really cool,” said Heßmann.
Even after crossing the finish line, Degenkolb still had “goosebumps”, as he reported. “That’s the pinnacle of everything when it comes to the atmosphere and the ambience. It’s like nothing else. I’ve probably climbed that stage for the last time, but I’ll be there when the Tour comes back to Alpe d’Huez,” said the former Paris–Roubaix champion. At 37, his career is gradually drawing to a close.
There were also many German fans lining the route, some of whom, in a spirit of old-fashioned solidarity, were still holding up ‘Ulle’ cardboard signs. There is one thing, however, that they will have to wait a little longer for: even 74 years after the first Alpe d’Huez mountain finish in the Tour, there has still never been a German winner.
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