Stage 18 (Brive - Puy de Dôme) of the 1973 Tour de France was the final mountain leg of that year’s event and it suitably ended with an ascent to the top of Puy de Dôme itself. Bernard Thevenet had now moved into second place overall, just in front of Jose-Manuel Fuente, on the strength of his second place showing in the 12.4 km stage 16b (Bordeaux - le-Lac) time trial. And while Fuente would try to assert himself one last time, it was Thevenet, seen here clad in the Maillot Tricolore of the François le Championnat (...the French National Champion jersey) during his solo climb, who would finish in third place for stage 18 behind Luis Ocana and Lucien Van Impe - a full 14 seconds ahead of a fading Fuente.
