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Ottavio Bottecchia

Ottavio Bottecchia on the Col d'Izoard in 13th stage of Tour de France 1925

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 a surprise newcomer in 1923, when he finished second behind his teammate Henri Pelissier, but his overall victory in the subsequent year, especially the fact, that he was the first cyclist to wear the yellow jersey during the entire race from the very beginning, made him the biggest favourite of Tour de France 1925. Bottecchia started strong in that year… Read More »Ottavio Bottecchia on the Izoard (Tour de France 1925)

Ottavio Bottecchia

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 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.” ((” Pas de bananes, beaucoup café, merci.” Quoted… Read More »26 June 1923 Ottavio Bottecchia’s first stage victory at Tour de France