Golden Time...
Charly Gaul squeezing the famous French singer,Charles Trenet, 1958 Tdf.
A wonderful look of the Tour of the 1930s-40s-50s with amazing footage of a time long gone.
So many great riders too numerous to list. But will never be forgotten. Romain Maes interviewed years after he won in 1935, said, "Riding the tour was always tiring." But he did win, a tough rider from Flanders in Belgium lead the race from start to finish, convincingly.
War interrupted the Tour between 1939 and 1947. Jean Robic, showed France was back by winning the 1947 Tour. Race director Jacques Goddet introduced two Alpine monsters, the Col du Glandon and the Col de la Croix de Fer.
The Italian rivalry between Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi in the 1949 Tour would result in an unfriendly alliance that Coppi would wrestle to overall victory. His first Tour win for the man called, il Campionissimo.
The fifties was the Golden Age of Cycling, dare I say, I like to encompass the 30s and 40s as the golden time. The Golden Age introduced the stylish matinee idols on two wheels: Bobet, Koblet, Kubler, Gaul, Geminiani and Bahamontes. New mountain passes were introduced furthering the sheer beauty of the Tour: Alpe d'Huez, Mount Ventoux, Puy-de-Dome and Sestrieres.
A golden time of Le Tour!
See video here.
On top of the Col du Glandon, 1947 Tdf.
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