31 years ago, he won a prestige victory over the Tour de France 1994 in Hautacam. Luc Leblanc is thus completely legitimate to return to the microphone of Cyclism’Actu On the future steps of the 112nd Large loop which will take place in the Pyrenees, with a scheduled arrival in … Hautacam, this Thursday, July 17 for the 12th stage and first big arrival at the top. Always as attentive to cycling today, the former world champion delivered before the departure of the 11th stage in Toulouse this Wednesday his point of view on this 2025 edition and his duel announced between Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) et Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates XRG), while evoking his memories of this mythical ascent where he will be honored … and on which he sees the world champion Slovenian doing “explode everyone“And join him at the charts.
Luc Leblanc, we are on the Tour de France, if I tell you the Pyrenees, what does it talk about?
I have great memories in the Pyrenees but my best memory in the Pyrenees is in 1994 where I won in Hautacam. It was the first arrival at the top of Hautacam, the turn had never happened before on the summits and I was the first winner. So it is a very very great memory and the stage of July 17 will be extraordinary.
Hautacam, is there a particular device I think?
Yes, absolutely. The Departmental Council of Hautes-Pyrénées, the Community of Communes, the city of Argelès-Gazost and all the municipalities of the Hautacam climb with the organizer of the Pyrenean Gérard Labrounet decided to call Hautacam La Montée Luc Leblanc. So there will be a great event for me tomorrow. Usually I do the steps with the guests for Noroto every day but tomorrow they leave me alone. Tonight at the Toulouse stage I go directly to Argelès to sleep there, it starts this evening the festivities. And so tomorrow morning at 8:30 am meet at the foot of Hautacam and there it will be a big party for me.
How do we win in Hautacam?
Already there were 270 km, it was not a criterium. It must be said that up to 25 km, up to the foot of Hautacam, I was at the limit of abandonment. It was rolling very quickly, I was last in the peloton. I had so pain on my leg, I wondered how I was going to continue and arrive at the top of Hautacam. I resisted, resisted and 20 km before the foot of Hautacam, we started to set up the bumps a little bit in the foothills of the Pyrenees. And there everything was unlocked, worse in the leg. I see Pantani leaving, I could have been there but I let Marco Pantani do his show in front. And then the more it went up, the more I was there and the others were dropped. And so I arrived at one point with Miguel Indurain, we both found ourselves. We joined Pantani 3 km from the finish and then after that decanted we both arrived with Indurain.
Tadej Pogacar said during his press conference that he is impatiently awaiting Hautacam then Peyragudes. Can Pogacar kill the Tour in Hautacam?
Indurain at the time he exploded the Tour in Hautacam. He was already a yellow jersey that day but there he exploded everything. Rominger, Chiappucci, all the favorites jumped in the climb. He had really won his Tour de France definitely in Hautacam. So today in 2025 I see Pogacar well perhaps, who will certainly want to succeed Lucho. It would be nice, I will be happy. Vingegaard he won a few years ago, so Poggy I see him blending everyone in Hautacam. And I think Vingegaard has an interest in holding really as it takes today. Because tomorrow (step 12) it will really be a very hard step.
Pogacar is really above the lot?
For the moment yes. Although Vingegaard he still held Pogi on arrival at Mondor. He had trouble following but well he was there anyway. But I still think that it is really a tone below Pogi, that's for sure.
So Hautacam, it's the day Luc Leblanc et Tadej Pogacar.
Yes it will be nice because Pogi when he attacks, he will see Lucho on the ground (laughs). He marked “Lucho”, “La Rontée Luc Leblanc 1994”. He's going to see only my face! And in addition with the terminals, if he turns around he will see a few terminals also on the side of the road. Since there are 6 terminals 1m50 by 90 cm wide which were manufactured by the organization, with me in photo at the time and a QR code that people will be able to flash to see the report of 5 minutes on the rise of the time. It's nice and it's unique, it's a first. I'm happy. My big day it will be it, but it is also especially that my daughter is by my side and that she sees what her dad does at the time. And that's great.
