It started with a new business opportunity. After the years of La Sportive consortium, the usual structure of sponsored teams returned to Tour de France in 1923. Automoto, the team of Pelissier brothers has some commercial interest in Italy, they were searching for more Italian cyclists in the team. They hired several riders, but only one of them arrived right in time for the start of Tour de France.
He was Ottavio Bottecchia, a " bricklayer of Friuli", as he would be dubbed later, a rider just turned pro one year earlier.
He knew only a few words in French: "No bananas, lots of coffee, thank you."1
But it wasn't the reason why he was almost sent back to Italy. Having only Italian cyclist in the team wouldn't have served the commercial purpose of the team sponsors. They would have either several Italian riders on no one. But at the end, Bottecchia was allowed to ride Tour de France.
And this was the start of a very short but spectacular career.
In the first stage of Tour de France 1923, Bottecchia finished second. He won the sprint in the second stage. This was not only his first stage victory, but
made him the first ever Italian wearer of the yellow jersey.
Later during this edition he lost his leading position, then he gained back. His team captain, Henri Pelissier took the lead only after winning the 10th stage in the Pyrenees. Bottecchia finished second in the general classification.
Next year Bottecchia was leading the race from the first to the last stage. In 1925, he won the race again. His last appearance at the Tour de France happened in 1926, but he had to abandon the race in the toughest Tour de France stage ever).
He was preparing for particiapation in June 1927, when he was so seriously beaten up, that he died few days later.
MORE ABOUT OTTAVIO BOTTECCHIA
Ottavio Bottecchia on the Izoard (Tour de France 1925)
Col d’Izoard was introduced to Tour de France in 1922. It seems to have been the new favourite of the organizers, they put it in the program also in the next 5 years. (And it is still one of the most used ascent in the history of Tour de France) Ottavio Bottecchia might have been… Read More »Ottavio Bottecchia on the Izoard (Tour de France 1925)
26 June 1923 Ottavio Bottecchia’s first stage victory at Tour de France
It started with a new business opportunity. After the years of La Sportive consortium, the usual structure of sponsored teams returned to Tour de France in 1923. Automoto, the team of Pelissier brothers has some commercial interest in Italy, they were searching for more Italian cyclists in the team. They hired several riders, but only… Read More »26 June 1923 Ottavio Bottecchia’s first stage victory at Tour de France
MORE ABOUT TOUR DE FRANCE IN THE 1920S
Faces from the peloton: Victor Fontan (1892-1982)
A cyclist running while carrying his bike on his shoulder. Surely, you’ve seen this vintage cycling image several times. Now it’s time to learn a bit more about the protagonist of the picture. Victor Fontan (1892-1982) in the Faces from the peloton series of PelotonTales blog. A local rider World War I, like World War… Read More »Faces from the peloton: Victor Fontan (1892-1982)
The smoking cyclists from Tour de France 1927
The smoking cyclists of Tour de France 1927 is one of the most famous vintage cycling images from the heydays of road cycling races. It’s popular because it conveys a certain aspect of the many differences between our time and the life hundred years ago. The dissonance between our 21st-centurian knowledge that smoking is very… Read More »The smoking cyclists from Tour de France 1927
The grumpy cyclist with the broken bicycle – Giusto Cerutti at Tour de France 1928
Giusto Cerutti (1903-1993) had at least one bad day at the Tour de France in 1928.We don’t know much about the grumpy cyclist with the broken bicycle. But one thing is sure, he is the unlucky (anti)hero of one of the most searched vintage cycling images on the internet.According to ProCyclingStats, Cerutti abandoned the race… Read More »The grumpy cyclist with the broken bicycle – Giusto Cerutti at Tour de France 1928
- " Pas de bananes, beaucoup café, merci." Quoted by Pierre Chany in La fabuleuse historie du Tour de France [↩]