The high point of the Tour de France? The story behind the Souvenir Henri Desgrange and Souvenir Jacques-Goddet

A monument in the memory of French sportsman and journalist Henri Desgrange 18651940 who created the Tour de France at the top of the Galibier pass HautesAlpes 1945 The monument was designed by architechts A Audouze and Tabourin Photo by CAPRoger Viollet via Getty Images.

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.

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).

Sylvere Maes repairs his bike after a puncture in the Col du Galibier Henri Desgrange looks on (Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

Col de la Bonette hosts the Souvenir Henri Desgrange in 2024 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Year	Winner	Location	Altitude	Mountain range
1947	Édouard Fachleitner
1948	Roger Lambrecht
1949	Paul Giguet
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
1954	Federico Bahamontes	Col du Galibier	2,556 m	Alps
1955	Charly Gaul	Col du Galibier	2,556 m	Alps
1956	Pierre Pardoin
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
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
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		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

Souvenir Jacques-Goddet winners at the Tour de France

Year	Stage	Winner
2001	14	Sven Montgomery
2002	11*	Laurent Jalabert	Col d'Aubisque, 1,709m
2003	15	Sylvain Chavanel
2004	not awarded
2005	not awarded
2006	11	David de la Fuente
2007	14*	Rubén Pérez	Port de Pailhères, 2,001m
2008	10	Rémy Di Gregorio
2009	9	Franco Pellizotti3
2010	16	Christophe Moreau
2011	12	Jérémy Roy
2012	16	Thomas Voeckler
2013	not awarded
2014	18	Blel Kadri
2015	11	Rafał Majka
2016	8	Thibaut Pinot
2017	not awarded
2018	19	Julian Alaphilippe
2019	14	Thibaut Pinot
2020	not awarded
2021	18	Pierre Latour
2022	not awarded
2023	6	Tobias Halland Johannessen
2024	14
2025	14