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cycling in snow

Fernando Manzaneque on the Col d'Iseran at the Tour de France 1963

Fernando Manzaneque on the Col d’Iseran (Tour de France 1963)

Snow at the Tour de France? Yes, it happens sometimes, especially, when the race visits such high places like Col d’Iseran in the Alps. In the 16th stage of Tour de France 1963, the peloton visited the Alps. It was a 202 km long stage between Grenoble and Val d’Isere, including Col de la Croix de Fer and Col d’Iseran. The Spaniard Fernando Manzaneque won the stage ahead of Enzo Fontona and Guy Epaud. The stages in the Alps in that year delivered and epic battle between Federico Bahamontes and Jacques Anquetil. The French rider has already won Vuelta a Espana a few weeks earlier and was about to win his 4th Tour de France.… Read More »Fernando Manzaneque on the Col d’Iseran (Tour de France 1963)

Belgian cyclist Hector Heusghem is refreshing himself with snow at the Tiur de France in 1923

Snow at Tour de France 1923

Snow at Tour de France is quite rare, but not impossible, as the image of Hector Heusghem at Tour de France 1923 proves. Belgian cyclist Hector Heusghem (1890-1982) was active as professional cyclist between 1912 and 1925. His best result at Tour de France was 2nd  position both in 1920 and 1921. In 1922 he took the yellow jersey  with 3 stage to go, but lost his led in the general classification after receiving a one-hour penality. MORE TOUR DE FRANCE IN THE 1920 [su_posts posts_per_page=”7″ tax_term=”454″ order=”desc”]

Italian cycling legend Fausto Coppi riding between two big snow walls on Stelvio in 1952

Cycling in snow

Road cycling is not a winter sport. But sometimes -especially in the high mountains  – winter visits road cycling events in the form of snow. Images of cyclists struggling through the snow are usually fit into the narrativa of road cycling races being heroic and epic. Fausto Coppi, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and all the other great legends are capture at least one time during their careers in  heroic moment in snow. Let see some of those epic moments. Charly Gaul on Monte Bondone (Giro d’Italia 1956) Race director Vincenzo Torriani was asked to cancel the stage due to the rough weather conditions were forecasted. But he declined it, he may have thought, this could… Read More »Cycling in snow

Gustaaf Deloor, the winner of the first Vuelta a Espana with his brother, Alfons Deloor

Gustaaf Deloor and Roger Riviére were your favourite cyclists on week 47 in 2022

Most popular posts from the history of road cycling on PelotonTales during the previous week Roger Riviére, the  talented cyclist with a tragically short professional career Rivière, who already competed the Tour de France previous year (and won a stage), was a careless kind of a talent. When he made his move on the 6th stage, he was told by team manager Marcel Bidot to give up his attack, because the riders could go with him, Gastone Nencini and Jan Adriaensens considered to be too dangerous opponents, he ignored the advice. As Henry Anglade later commented his behaviour, most likely this was the moment when the French team lost the Tour de France that year.… Read More »Gustaaf Deloor and Roger Riviére were your favourite cyclists on week 47 in 2022

Iconic snow images at the Giro d'Italia Charly Gaul on the Monte Bondone 1956

Charly Gaul on the Monte Bondone (Giro d’Italia 1956)

Cycling in extreme weather: Charly Gaul on the famous stage 20 up to Monte Bondone at the Giro d’Italia 1956   Race director Vincenzo Torriani was asked to cancel the stage due to the rough weather conditions were forecasted. But he declined it, he may have thought, this could make the unexciting race exciting again. It was a cold and rainy day,  the rider were unprepared and underdressed, and the race director was asked again to finish the race earlier, at least a bit earlier than the original plan. The snow started to fall and the temperatures dropped. 60 riders abandoned the race, meanwhile stage winner Charly Gaul jumped from 11th to 1st in the… Read More »Charly Gaul on the Monte Bondone (Giro d’Italia 1956)