Approaching the end of what was the first venture into the high Alps during the 1969 edition of the Tour de France, Eddy Merckx and Roger Pignon are seen climbing the Col de Montets in unison during stage 9 (Thonon les Bains - Chamonix). While it may have been 1967 Tour winner Roger Pignon who was first over the Forclaz and Montets ascents that day, winning the stage and thereby lifting himself into second place, it would be Eddy Merckx who totally dominated this Tour. Indeed, 1969 would prove to be a tour de force for Merckx who accomplished that which had never before and has never since been done in achieving the first of what would ultimately be five career Tour de France victories - he laid claim to the Maillot Jaune or Yellow jersey as winner of the general classification, the Maillot Vert or Green jersey as winner of the points plassification (...best sprinter), and the Maillot a Pois Rouges or Polka Dots jersey as King of the Mountains (...best climber). Roger Pignon would post a more than respectable second place finish in the 1969 Tour, yet he was still a full 17 minutes and 54 seconds back of Merckx - the largest margin of victory the Tour de France had seen in 17 years (...since "Il Campionissimo" Fausto Coppi crossed the finish line some 28 minutes and 17 seconds ahead of Stan Ockers back in 1952).
