André Bach (1888–1945) originated from Paris. He was severely wounded in World War I and lost his left arm. Sports, and particularly cycling, gave him a renewed enthusiasm for life. In 1936, the family man moved to the southern French city of Pau. There he worked as a journalist and editor. He remained true to the sport of cycling, not just as a journalist; he regularly cycled up through the mountain passes of the Pyrenees, and the Col d’Aubisque Pass in particular. Given that he only had one arm, this was an extraordinary achievement. For many years, he also served as the president of the Cyclo Club Béarnais, a local cycling club.
André Bach was involved in the résistance from the beginning of the war. He smuggled messages and couriers across the border and helped families flee to Switzerland. In 1943 he was arrested, and the following January he was deported to Buchenwald. He was liberated during a death march in May of 1945. However, he was ultimately overwhelmed by his hardships. In early May 1945, André Bach died on route back to his home.
The monument along the Col d’Aubisque was installed at the initiative of the Cyclo Club Béarnais. To this day, cycling enthusiasts meet there every year to remember their former president with a commemorative bicycle ride.
