The high point of the Tour de France? The story behind the Souvenir Henri Desgrange and Souvenir Jacques-Goddet
Special mountains prize on stage 19 at Tour de France
The Souvenir Henri Desgrange is a prize awarded to the rider who crosses the Col du Galibier first in each edition of the Tour de France. It honours Tour de France founder Henri Desgrange, who died in 1940.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) is the most recent winner, having crossed the Col du Galibier first on stage 4 of the 2024 Tour de France en route to the stage win and the race lead.
If the Tour de France route doesn't include the Galibier, the prize is given to the first rider to cross the highest summit of the race, similar to the Cima Coppi awarded during each year at the Giro d'Italia.
In the 2025 Tour de France, the Souvenir Henri Desgrange will be awarded to the first rider to cross the summit of the Col de la Loze at the end of stage 19.
There is a second prize, the Souvenir Jacques-Goddet, which is awarded for the first rider to cross the Col du Tourmalet each year. If this climb is the highest point of the Tour de France edition, the Souvenir Henri Desgrange is awarded at the second-highest peak.
In the 2025 Tour de France, the Souvenir Jacques-Goddet will be won on the Col du Tourmalet on stage 14.
If the Col du Tourmalet isn't used in the Tour, the prize may not be awarded, though it was given on two occasions atop other climbs - on the Col d'Aubisque in 2002 and Port de Pailhères in 2007.
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The Souvenir Henri Desgrange was first awarded when the event resumed post-WWII in 1947.
Initially a seemingly randomly designated point on a given stage – outside Desgrange's house, halfway up a medium mountain – it was in 1950 that the high mountains became its natural habitat. And the peaks of the Alps and Pyrenees have predominantly, though not exclusively, been where the prize is awarded.
A monument to Henri Desgrange was built on the Tour's iconic Col du Galibier, the Frenchman's favourite ascents, in 1949. On years when the Tour passes his monument, a wreath is laid on it.
The 2024 winner of the €5,000 prize was Tadej Pogačar atop the Col du Galibier on stage 4, setting the record for the fastest ascent of the 8.6km final section of the 2,633-metre mountain in the process.
Tying on three wins apiece for the award are Richard Virenque and Nairo Quintana, so with the Colombian out of the running with a fractured hand sustained at the Tour de Suisse, that record will remain intact for this year at least.
Talking of Colombians, Quintana's compatriots have good form in the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, with 10 wins making the nation of climbing greats third in the list of countries who have taken the prize over its 76-year history. France leads the way (17), followed by Spain (14).
The highest point thus far where the prize was awarded came in 2019 on the Col de l'Iseran, the highest paved road in the Alps at 2,764m. Another Colombian, Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) took the honours that year, along with the yellow jersey in Paris.
And the lowest point? Outside Desgrange's old house in the village of Grimaud in the Var department. Much as he loved the mountains and led the way in taking Grand Tours into previously uncharted racing terrain, the founder lived at a paltry five metres above sea level.
Cime de la Bonette is the designated Souvenir location for 2024. Standing at an eye-watering 2,715m, the Bonette is the second of three huge mountains included on stage 19, concluding in Isola.
If the yellow jersey is still up for grabs by this point in the race, we could be in for a real treat. And the amuse bouche of the Souvenir Henri Desgrange could well be a springboard for whoever is capable of making a bold move before the finish in Nice.
Year |
Winner |
Location |
Altitude |
Mountain range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1947 |
Édouard Fachleitner |
Row 0 - Cell 2 | Row 0 - Cell 3 | Row 0 - Cell 4 |
1948 |
Roger Lambrecht |
Row 1 - Cell 2 | Row 1 - Cell 3 | Row 1 - Cell 4 |
1949 |
Paul Giguet |
Row 2 - Cell 2 | Row 2 - Cell 3 | Row 2 - Cell 4 |
1950 |
Apo Lazaridès |
Col du Lautaret |
2,058 m |
Alps |
1951 |
Gino Sciardis |
Col du Lautaret |
2,058 m |
Alps |
1952 |
Fausto Coppi |
Col du Galibier |
2,556 m |
Alps |
1953 |
Claude Colette |
Row 6 - Cell 2 | Row 6 - Cell 3 | Row 6 - Cell 4 |
1954 |
Federico Bahamontes |
Col du Galibier |
2,556 m |
Alps |
1955 |
Charly Gaul |
Col du Galibier |
2,556 m |
Alps |
1956 |
Pierre Pardoin |
Row 9 - Cell 2 | Row 9 - Cell 3 | Row 9 - Cell 4 |
1957 |
Marcel Janssens |
Col du Galibier |
2,556 m |
Alps |
1958 |
Piet van East |
Col du Lautaret |
2 058 m |
Alps |
1959 |
Charly Gaul |
Col du Galibier |
2,556 m |
Alps |
1960 |
Jean Graczyk |
Col du Lautaret |
2 058 m |
Alps |
1961 |
Joseph Planckaert |
Ballon d'Alsace |
1,247 m |
Vosges |
1962 |
Juan Campillo |
Col du Lautaret |
2 058 m |
Alps |
1963 |
not awarded |
Row 16 - Cell 2 | Row 16 - Cell 3 | Row 16 - Cell 4 |
1964 |
Federico Bahamontes |
Col du Galibier |
2,556 m |
Alps |
1965 |
Francisco Gabica |
Col du Lautaret |
2 058 m |
Alps |
1966 |
Julio Jiménez |
Col du Galibier |
2,556 m |
Alps |
1967 |
Julio Jiménez |
Col du Galibier |
2,556 m |
Alps |
1968 |
Barry Hoban |
Col des Aravis |
1,487 m |
Alps |
1969 |
Eddy Merckx |
Col du Galibier |
2,556 m |
Alps |
1970 |
Raymond Delisle |
Col d'Aubisque |
1,709 m |
Pyrenees |
1971 |
Wilmo Francioni |
Côte de Dourdan |
Row 24 - Cell 3 | Row 24 - Cell 4 |
1972 |
Joop zoetemelk |
Col du Galibier |
2,556 m |
Alps |
1973 |
Luis Ocaia |
Col du Galibier |
2,556 m |
Alps |
1974 |
Vicente Lopez Carril |
Col du Galibier |
2,556 m |
Alps |
1975 |
Luis Balague |
Col du Télégraphe |
1,566 m |
Alps |
1976 |
Luciano Conati |
Col du Lautaret |
2 058 m |
Alps |
1977 |
Lucien Van Impe |
Col du Tourmalet |
2 115 m |
Pyrenees |
1978 |
Christian Seznec |
Sainte-Marie-de-Campan |
Row 31 - Cell 3 | Pyrenees |
1979 |
Lucien Van Impe |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
1980 |
Johan De Muynck |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
1981 |
Theo de Rooij |
Col de la Madeleine |
1,993 m |
Alps |
1982 |
André Chalmel |
Col du Sulor |
1,474 m |
Pyrenees |
1983 |
José Patrocinio Jiménez |
Col du Tourmalet |
2 115 m |
Pyrenees |
1984 |
Francisco Rodriguez |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
1985 |
Pello Ruiz |
Col du Tourmalet |
2 115 m |
Pyrenees |
1986 |
Luis Herrera |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
1987 |
Pedro Munoz |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
1988 |
Laudelino Cubino |
Col du Tourmalet |
2 115 m |
Pyrenees |
1989 |
Gert-Jan Theunisse |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
1990 |
Miguel Angel Martinez |
Col du Tourmalet |
2 115 m |
Pyrenees |
1991 |
Claudio Chiappucci |
Col du Tourmalet |
2 115 m |
Pyrenees |
1992 |
Franco Chioccioli |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
1993 |
Tony Rominger |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
1994 |
Richard Virenque |
Tourmalet Pass |
2 115 m |
Pyrenees |
1995 |
Richard Virenque |
Col de la Croix-de-Fer |
2,068 m |
Alps |
1996 |
Neil Stephens |
Col d'Aubisque |
1,709 m |
Pyrenees |
1997 |
Richard Virenque |
Port d'Envalira |
2,407 m |
Pyrenees |
1998 |
Marco Pantani |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
1999 |
José Luis Arrieta |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
2000 |
Pascal Hervé |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
2001 |
Laurent Roux |
Col de la Madeleine |
1,993 m |
Alps |
2002 |
Santiago Botero |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
2003 |
Stefano Garzelli |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
2004 |
Gilberto Simoni |
Col de la Madeleine |
1,993 m |
Alps |
2005 |
Alexander Vinokourov |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
2006 |
Michael Rasmussen |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
2007 |
Mauricio Soler |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
2008 |
Stefan Schumacher |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
2009 |
Franco Pellizotti |
Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard |
2,469 m |
Alps |
2010 |
Andy Schleck |
Col du Tourmalet |
2 115 m |
Pyrenees |
2011 |
Andy Schleck |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
2012 |
Fredrik Kessiakoff |
Col de la Croix-de-Fer |
2,068 m |
Alps |
2013 |
Nairo Quintana |
Port of Pailhères |
2,001 m |
Pyrenees |
2014 |
Joaquim Rodriguez |
Col d'Izoard |
2,361 m |
Alps |
2015 |
Simon Geschke |
Col d'Allos |
2,247 m |
Alps |
2016 |
Rui Costa |
Port d'Envalira |
2,408 m |
Pyrenees |
2017 |
Primo, Rogli |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
2018 |
Nairo Quintana |
Col de Portet |
2 215 m |
Pyrenees |
2019 |
Egan Bernal |
Col d'Iseran |
2,764 m |
Alps |
2020 |
Miguel Angel Lopez |
Col de la Loze |
2,304 m |
Alps |
2021 |
Nairo Quintana |
Port d'Envalira |
2,408 m |
Pyrenees |
2022 |
Warren Barguil |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
2023 |
Felix Gall |
Col de la Loze |
2,304 m |
Alps |
2024 |
Tadej Pogacar |
Col du Galibier |
2,642 m |
Alps |
2025 |
tbd |
Col de la Loze |
2,304 m |
Alps |
Year |
Stage |
Winner |
Header Cell - Column 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
2001 |
14 |
Sven Montgomery |
Row 0 - Cell 3 |
2002 |
11* |
Laurent Jalabert |
Col d'Aubisque, 1,709m |
2003 |
15 |
Sylvain Chavanel |
Row 2 - Cell 3 |
2004 |
not awarded |
Row 3 - Cell 2 | Row 3 - Cell 3 |
2005 |
not awarded |
Row 4 - Cell 2 | Row 4 - Cell 3 |
2006 |
11 |
David de la Fuente |
Row 5 - Cell 3 |
2007 |
14* |
Rubén Pérez |
Port de Pailhères, 2,001m |
2008 |
10 |
Rémy Di Gregorio |
Row 7 - Cell 3 |
2009 |
9 |
Franco Pellizotti3 |
Row 8 - Cell 3 |
2010 |
16 |
Christophe Moreau |
Row 9 - Cell 3 |
2011 |
12 |
Jérémy Roy |
Row 10 - Cell 3 |
2012 |
16 |
Thomas Voeckler |
Row 11 - Cell 3 |
2013 |
not awarded |
Row 12 - Cell 2 | Row 12 - Cell 3 |
2014 |
18 |
Blel Kadri |
Row 13 - Cell 3 |
2015 |
11 |
Rafał Majka |
Row 14 - Cell 3 |
2016 |
8 |
Thibaut Pinot |
Row 15 - Cell 3 |
2017 |
not awarded |
Row 16 - Cell 2 | Row 16 - Cell 3 |
2018 |
19 |
Julian Alaphilippe |
Row 17 - Cell 3 |
2019 |
14 |
Thibaut Pinot |
Row 18 - Cell 3 |
2020 |
not awarded |
Row 19 - Cell 2 | Row 19 - Cell 3 |
2021 |
18 |
Pierre Latour |
Row 20 - Cell 3 |
2022 |
not awarded |
Row 21 - Cell 2 | Row 21 - Cell 3 |
2023 |
6 |
Tobias Halland Johannessen |
Row 22 - Cell 3 |
2024 |
14 |
Row 23 - Cell 2 | Row 23 - Cell 3 |
2025 |
14 |
Row 24 - Cell 2 | Row 24 - Cell 3 |
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