Before Greg Van Avermaet's victory ahead of Peter Sagan two years ago, Rodez hosted only one Tour de France stage finish. Frenchman Pierre-Henri Menthéour won a three-man sprint in 1984 and one of the nine stage victories of his Renault-Gitane team that also claimed the overall title with Laurent Fignon. 33 year ago, the finale was in the town centre near the Notre-Dame de Rodez cathedral while today it's in the district of Bourran at top of the hilly avenue de Saint-Pierre, like two years ago. Turned a TV reporter, Menthéour later filmed the Tour de France for Eurosport. He remained an award-winning journalist for his report for France Televisions in Afghanistan in 2008. He died from cancer in 2014 on the eve of Paris-Roubaix at the age of 53.
Newsflashes
July 15
th
2017
- 15:58
Remember Pierre-Henri Menthéour
