Alfredo Binda wird in zweifacher Hinsicht mit den Anfängen der Hauptstadt des Béarn bei der Tour in Verbindung gebracht: Der elegante italienische Meister war hier am 9. Juli 1930 der erste Etappensieger und setzte sich auch am Tag darauf durch, als das Peloton von Pau in Richtung Luchon startete. Es sollten seine beiden einzigen Tagessiege bei der Tour de France bleiben. Tadej Pogačar kann das noch übertrumpfen, denn er verzeichnet vier Siege auf Etappen mit dem Ausgangsort Pau: in Laruns 2020 bei seinem ersten Tour-Sieg, in Luz-Ardiden 2021, wo Jonas Vingegaard die Ablöse für Primož Roglič als ärgster Widersacher des slowenischen Kannibalen übernimmt; in Saint-Lary-Soulan an den Hängen von Pla d’Adet 2024; in Gavarnie-Gèdre nach seinem größten Alleingang bei der Tour im letzten Sommer.
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Pau and cycling
At the gateway to the Pyrenees, the capital of Béarn has been an unmissable stop on the Tour almost every year since Alfredo Binda won here in 1930. Pau is now the third most visited city by the Tour, after Paris and Bordeaux. Among the city’s most memorable moments, Julian Alaphilippe, wearing the Yellow Jersey, sent the crowd into raptures by winning the 2019 time trial that marked the 100th anniversary of the famous jersey. Sprinters Jasper Philipsen and Olav Kooij, meanwhile, have recently found success in Pau.
With so many finishes in the city (and just as many starts on Boulevard des Pyrénées), the Tour was bound to inspire a passion for the sport, and there are many riders with links to Pau. These include Victor Fontan, winner of two stages in 1928 and a brief holder of the Yellow Jersey in 1929; Arnaud Geyre, the 1956 Olympic team time trial champion; and, more recently, Stéphane Augé, who has competed in eight Tours; Mathieu Ladagnous, with seven Tours to his name; and the late team manager of Team Ineos, Nicolas Portal, who also competed in six Tours as a rider.
Sights
Tour des Géants (Tour of the Giants)
For several summers now, the city of king Henry IV has also been home to the Tour des Géants – statues honouring the winners of the Tour de France. Each of these totems bears the name and photograph of the winner from the relevant year, along with a text written by author Christian Laborde. The totems, nearly two metres tall, form a permanent monument set amidst the greenery of the Bois Louis, near the Philippe Tissié stadium. The site, laid out in a spiral, welcomes a new sculpture every year. Each aluminium and glass effigy (three of which are made of bronze) displays the name and photograph of that year’s winner, the number of kilometres covered, their average speed, and photographs or drawings, accompanied by a dynamic and original text. It is worth noting that a QR code is affixed to each sculpture. By scanning the code with a smartphone, you can listen to this text translated into several languages.
Boulevard des Pyrenees
Completed in 1900, it offers an exceptional panoramic view stretching nearly 150 km along the Pyrenees mountain range. Its 850-metre-long balustrade serves as a guide rail. We owe the inspiration for Boulevard des Pyrenees project to Jean-Charles Alphand, who wrote: “What Pau is missing is the Promenade des Anglais in Nice”. The boulevard was therefore designed as a mountainous replica of the Nice promenade, a prime spot for “seeing and being seen”. This promenade, situated on the edge of a steep, entirely man-made balcony, represents a technical and aesthetic feat which, since its creation, has shaped and organised urban development.
Beaumont Park and Palace
Built: 1900
Style: Neoclassical.
Architect: Émile Bertrand.
Features: built to accommodate wealthy holidaymakers, the Winter Palace, known as the Palais Beaumont, now houses a casino and a conference centre. The site is situated in the heart of a park featuring remarkable trees and an open-air theatre. It has often served as the starting point for the Tour de France.
Château de Pau National Museum
Construction: 12th to 19th centuries.
Style: medieval and eclectic.
History: Perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking a ford on the Gave, the foundations of the Château de Pau date back to the early Middle Ages. Henri IV was born there on 13 December 1553. Restored under Louis-Philippe, the château became a museum in 1926. In addition to its royal apartments, it houses important collections dedicated to Henri IV, as well as a large number of tapestries, and his shell-shaped cradle still occupies a prominent place there.
Characteristics: built on a rocky outcrop, it has a highly irregular polygonal layout, situated at the top of two slopes surrounded by the first and then the second enclosure. Inside this second enclosure, the château is built on the same polygonal plan. It is now flanked by six towers, whilst a seventh, known as the ‘Monnaie’ tower, forms part of the first enclosure. These towers are all rectangular and connected by a thick wall against which the residential buildings forming the main living quarters are set.
Current use: a prestigious residence for centuries, the château became a national museum dedicated to Henry IV in 1926.
Listing: listed as a Historic Monument in 1840.
http://www.musee-chateau-pau.fr/
The banks of the Gave
This area covers 250 hectares, traversed by the 13 km of the Gave’s riverbanks. Renowned for its natural heritage, this park aims to allow everyone to enjoy a natural space within the city. Various facilities are available for walkers, such as benches, picnic tables, etc. On the banks of the Gave, you’ll also find the white-water stadium and the ‘Voie Bleue’ for a sporting and aquatic break: a canoe trip or a rafting adventure.
Domaine de Sers
The Sers estate, a recently opened 25-hectare green space, is a real treat for local residents. As well as the municipal greenhouses, it is home to the Maison du Jardinier, a centre offering information, advice and activities centred on sustainable gardening. It also supports residents in their projects to green public spaces.
