The years of La Sportive consortium (1919- 1921)
Although Henri Desgrange was always keen to preserve Tour de France as a competition for individuals1, cyclists who were sponsored by the same bicycle manufacture naturally worked as a team. Alcyon for example, delivered four overall victories (François Faber, 1909; Octave Lapize,1910 ; Gustave Garrigou, 1911; Odyle Defraye, 1912) before 1914 and dominated most of the editions of the race during the 1920s. World War I had a devastating impact on the French economy2, obviously on the life of the bicycle manufactures too. When Tour de France was held for the first time after the war in 1919, even the most notable companies were struggling to help their riders properly. But they wanted to keep… Read More »The years of La Sportive consortium (1919- 1921)
