Henri Desgrange
Was just wondering why they honour Henri with the hors cat desgrange trophy when he fought against variable gears. Anyone know why? He wanted TDF issue bikes for everyone to stop bike manfacturers gaining the edge for certain teams. Sounds like a good guy
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He was the founder of the Tour de France, that's why they honour him.0
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Kléber wrote:He was the founder of the Tour de France, that's why they honour him.
should have checked, sorry
fought geared bikes and gets a mountain of an honour 0 -
He thought it was an unfair advantage and that nobody under the age of 40 should need a geared bike.0
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Garry H wrote:He thought it was an unfair advantage and that nobody under the age of 40 should need a geared bike.
I share his disdain for cycle manfacturers to some extent0 -
Dave_1 wrote:Was just wondering why they honour Henri with the hors cat desgrange trophy when he fought against variable gears. Anyone know why? He wanted TDF issue bikes for everyone to stop bike manfacturers gaining the edge for certain teams. Sounds like a good guy
He was sucessful, gifted and visionary. However he was also a bully, a shabby martinet and a racist.'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'0 -
LangerDan wrote:Dave_1 wrote:Was just wondering why they honour Henri with the hors cat desgrange trophy when he fought against variable gears. Anyone know why? He wanted TDF issue bikes for everyone to stop bike manfacturers gaining the edge for certain teams. Sounds like a good guy
He was sucessful, gifted and visionary. However he was also a bully, a shabby martinet and a racist.
Everyone was a racist then. Wouldn't count that against him per say.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:LangerDan wrote:Dave_1 wrote:Was just wondering why they honour Henri with the hors cat desgrange trophy when he fought against variable gears. Anyone know why? He wanted TDF issue bikes for everyone to stop bike manfacturers gaining the edge for certain teams. Sounds like a good guy
He was sucessful, gifted and visionary. However he was also a bully, a shabby martinet and a racist.
Everyone was a racist then. Wouldn't count that against him per say.
Maybe. However, i've never seen a single account that doesn't paint him as an absolute @rse.___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
Also held the Hour Record, 35.325km on the 11 May 1893 in Buffalo, Paris!0
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as the founder of the tour I think it is right that there is some sort of award \ reflection of that during the race.
They have to do it some way and doing highest climb means seems as good a way as any. Not sure if any of the pros really care or try to win it though0 -
He also founded the French Audax club, in 1904, that organized the first such events in France that same year and led to the establishment of the Paris-Brest-Paris audax.0
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LangerDan wrote:Dave_1 wrote:Was just wondering why they honour Henri with the hors cat desgrange trophy when he fought against variable gears. Anyone know why? He wanted TDF issue bikes for everyone to stop bike manfacturers gaining the edge for certain teams. Sounds like a good guy
He was sucessful, gifted and visionary. However he was also a bully, a shabby martinet and a racist.
How could he have been a racist? He was French. You must know it's an idyll of left-wing tolerance.
I bet you're one of those Uebermenschen people.Le Blaireau (1)0 -
Real Quick,
Auto was Desgrange's newspaper, that newspaper started the Tour de France.
A good book is Le Tour by Geoffrey Wheatcroft for reading, not a picture packed large book like some are but lots of facts.
Auto actually becomes L'equipe if I remember correctly, I think L'equipe still is one of the sponsors.
The Tour de France started by Auto is much like the old World newspaper of New Yrok starting, that's right, the World Series of Baseball. A common critique one hears nowadays is saying "But the World Series is really just an American event", true, but it is called that because of the newspaper, not like the World Cup of football.
As to "racism", I remembered the part in the book and so I quote it.
Page 137:
Per World War II interrupting sports events like the Tour de France (there was actually a "Circuit de France" during the war in its place) "After Germany was beaten at ice hockey by a team from the satellite rump Czech state, Himmler complained that inferior races should not be given such opportunities to humiliate their betters, rather as Desgrange had felt about Major Taylor, the black cyclist." That I have to say, is open to interpretation. Though I like most of this book, to bring up Himmler and Desgrange in the same sentence does not seem proper.
I believe the book may make other references, this is the only one I remember but I don't know if it is really overwhelming that he was real racist say to the point of using racial terms and being like that.
Desgranges brought in the first Mountain Passes into the Tour, I believe it was some of those in the Pyrenees back then.
He seems actually like a decent bloke or have you 'plouc' as is said in Britanny all in all.
A character, I found this page 12-13 of the same book Le Tour by Wheatcroft.
"When he was running the Parc de Princes, a track event was organised pitting the French Champion Edmund Jacquelin against Major Taylor , the first notable black cyclist (not that there have been many since: that is Wheatcroff's note not mine). Taylor duly won, and Desgrange was so angered by this affront to the white race that he insulted the winner in turn by paying his large price in 10-centime coins, so that Taylor had to take the money away in a wheelbarrow..."
He may have disliked the black American, I'm not positive what that proves though.
On the other hand, Taylor because I read his bio was able to make a good living, maybe even being a sports star in France versus his treatment back then in the USA while he could ride and do well in New York, Massachussets, etc. there were other sectors of the country that were still very hostile.
Someone posted about those Madison's the other day, Taylor rode in those but the original format was probably under a professional of his standard. Those original Madison's may have been 24 hour marathon racing for days on end. That's history I am trying to figure out, book on it but it is real expensive.0 -
cajun_cyclist wrote:The Tour de France started by Auto is much like the old World newspaper of New Yrok starting, that's right, the World Series of Baseball. A common critique one hears nowadays is saying "But the World Series is really just an American event", true, but it is called that because of the newspaper, not like the World Cup of football.
I know it's not about cycling, but that bit a about the World Newspaper isn't true
http://www.snopes.com/business/names/worldseries.aspTwitter: @RichN950 -
I think Wheatcroft wrote that too. That is a story that is told about the World newspaper, the Wikipedia article says:....The belief that the World Series of baseball is also named after the newspaper, however, is unfounded.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_World
The story is widely told though, I take it that it may well not be true, I will have to read all of these articles.0 -
According to Chris Sidwells' 'A race for Madmen' it was a young journalist called Geo Lefevre who came up with the idea of the Tour... he took it to his boss Desgrange, who initially was sceptical but later warmed to the idea.
Is Lefevre honoured anywhere?0 -
ratsbeyfus wrote:According to Chris Sidwells' 'A race for Madmen' it was a young journalist called Geo Lefevre who came up with the idea of the Tour... he took it to his boss Desgrange, who initially was sceptical but later warmed to the idea.
Is Lefevre honoured anywhere?
Lefevre said it was just something he blurted out in a meeting because he had nothing else to say (L'Auto were in trouble and needed ideas).
Arch rivals, Le Velo, even lent L'Auto some money to stage the first race as they thought that the whole enterprise would destroy them.
Once the first race was a success, it was very much Desgrange who was the driving force that made it a national institution.Twitter: @RichN950 -
DaveyL wrote:LangerDan wrote:Dave_1 wrote:Was just wondering why they honour Henri with the hors cat desgrange trophy when he fought against variable gears. Anyone know why? He wanted TDF issue bikes for everyone to stop bike manfacturers gaining the edge for certain teams. Sounds like a good guy
He was sucessful, gifted and visionary. However he was also a bully, a shabby martinet and a racist.
How could he have been a racist? He was French. You must know it's an idyll of left-wing tolerance.
I bet you're one of those Uebermenschen people.
You'd find it pretty much impossible to find anyone who has written anything in that period who isn't racist - especially if they're European.0 -
first time have read into TDF organiser history...Jaques Goddet's got a few skeletons as well. Felix Levitan...was just trying to get the Tour of America off the ground-visionary as ASO have missed the boat now?? The red polka dot jersey design was Levitan's idea. Goddet has a memorial on the tourmalet I believe0
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He was sucessful, gifted and visionary. However he was also a bully, a shabby martinet and a racist.
What exactly is "a shabby martinet"? I'd like to use this as an insult when I get the chance, but I want to get the context right.
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