Octave Lapize Photo Gallery
Back to photo gallery rider list
Octave Lapize (October 24, 1887 - July 14, 1917) won the Tour de France in 1910, the first year the race went into the high mountains. He is probably most remembered for what he said to Tour de France officials Alphonse Steinès and Victor Breyer as he pushed his bike up the Col d'Aubisque, glassy-eyed and exhausted, "You are murderers, yes, murderers [Vous êtes des assassins! Oui, des assassins!]"
Lapize, a wonderfully talented rider, not only won the Tour de France, he won Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Brussels each three times.
After his Tour success, he licensed his name not only to a line of bicycles (made by La Française) but also to accessories such as toe clips and straps. The straps had a long life. I sold them (along with Christophe toe clips) in my bike shop in the 1980s.
His career was cut short by the Great War. He became a fighter pilot and was shot down over the western front.
Major professional victories:
1909: Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Dreux, Milano-Varese
1910: Paris-Roubaix,
Tour de France with four stage victories
1911: Champion of of France, Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Tours, Paris-Brussels
1912: Champion of France, Paris-Brussels
1913: Champion of France, Paris Brussels
Professional Teams:
1909: Biguet-Dunlop
1010: Alcyon-Dunlop
1911 - 1913: La Française-Diamant
1914: La Française-Hutchinson
Nickname: Curly (Frisé)
Photos:
Octave Lapize, a dapper man of the Belle Époque
Octave Lapize in 1910
Lapize and Cyrille van Hauwaert arrive at the velodrome at the end of the 1910 Paris-Roubaix. Lapiz won the sprint.
1911 Tour winner Gustave Garrigou reads L'Auto to Lapize during the 1910 Tour de France.
1910 Tour de France: Lapize in the Pyrenees.
1910 Tour de France: Lapize in the Pyrenees
Octave Lapize is first on the Tourmalet in stage 10 of the 1910 Tour de France.
1910 Tour de France: Lapize reaches the Tourmalet's summit.
1910 Tour de France, stage 10: Pierino Albini follows Lapize up the Aubisque.
Lapize has won the 1910 Tour de France.
After the 1910 Tour de France at the Parc des Princes velodrome: the victorious Lapize get a hug from his mother.
Undated portrait of Lapize.
Stage 3 of the 1911 Tour de France: Lapize on the Ballon d'Aosace. He was tenth that day.
Lapize was also a skilled track racer.
Another shot of Lapize track racing.
Lapize in what I assume is a French champion's tricolor jersey, meaning this photo was taken around 1912-1914
1913: Octave Lapize and Victor Dupré after winning the Paris 6-Day at the Vel d'Hiv
Sgt. Lapize during the war.
The Lapize Memorial at the top of the Col du Tourmalet.