00:00Carcassonne and its famous ramparts have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 but the
00:14medieval city has been making history on the Tour de France for a lot longer.
00:191947 marked the race's return after the Second World War and Stage 14 took the riders from
00:32Carcassonne to Luchon. Albert Bourlan attacked from the word go and went on to set a record
00:37for the longest ever solo breakaway in the post-war era, 253km. The Frenchman won the
00:44stage by over 16 minutes and his effort is unlikely to ever be beaten.
00:50Eddie Merckx's record of stage wins however was finally equalled in Carcassonne in 2021.
00:55Is this going to be the record of Merckx? Philipson goes on the left hand side, Mark Cavendish,
01:01the Max missile matches Merckx. 34 wins at the Tour de France.
01:08What a sprint that was. An historic day in cycling. 46 years ago and 4 days and Mark Cavendish matches
01:20the legendary Eddie Merckx with that sprint.
01:24Well, Cavendish has since surpassed Merckx, while Carcassonne will no doubt inspire future
01:29record breakers on the Tour.
