Birth And Death Of King René

The city hosted its first Tour stage in 1933, and it was won by the eventual champion, Georges Speicher. The following year, it is during a stage between Gap and Digne that René Vietto earned his nickname “King René”. Having gone clear on the Col de Vars, the rider from Cannes remained alone at the front until the finish, fixing his elegance and climbing talent in the imaginations and hearts of fans. It is well known that by staying loyal to Antonin Magne in the Pyrenees he gave up his chances of a stage win and a podium finish, handing his bike to his leader, who had damaged his on the Portet d'Aspet. Five years later, when Vietto was in contention for overall victory, it was between Digne and Briançon that the Frenchman was forced to yield, overcome by the Belgian Sylvère Maes, who finished 17 minutes ahead of him. The king never ascended to the throne. In 1969, Eddy Merckx, already decked out in yellow on his first appearance at the Tour, won in Digne. More recently, in 2005, David Moncoutié won his second Tour stage there after a solo raid of about forty kilometres. Three years later, a sprint finish resulted in Oscar Freire celebrating victory. The best known rider from Digne is Jean Milesi, a professional from 1958 to 1968, who took part in seven Tours, finished them all, and was a teammate to the greats.