How tough is the modern TDF ?

29-07.-2004, 07:34 PM	#1
limerickman Community Team Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: at the bar Posts: 12,658	How tough is the modern TDF ? I ask this question because I have dug out an account of the 1924 TDF from the French journalist Londre. I think that this is very interesting for those who look at the modern TDF and to compare just how difficult the TDF was in it’s pioneering phase during the early 20th century. Londres was an accomplished journalist who was invited to write about the TDF by his paper in order to capture and I quote “the beauty of this tortuous race”. Londre was ensconced with the riders. Just so to set the context for those who do not know the history of LeTour – here is a brief outline. The TDF was founded by Henri Desgrange to promote sales of his newspaper. To do this he devised the concept of staging a cycle race around France. Participants were invited to enter the race as individuals (teams were not entered until many years later). The bikes used in those years – only had one gear. They were heavy machines with big tyres. All cyclists had to bring their own food and their own spare tyres, tubes and other spare parts. They had to carry all of these items, themselves. There were no team support cars, no radio communication. The roads upon which these guys cycled were nothing more that dirt tracks, outside of the major towns and villages. The rules of the race were enforced very very strictly by Desgrange. For example, a rider was not allowed to remove or add clothing during each stage. So if a rider turned up with a cape on (if it was raining at the start of the stage), he had to cycle the entire stage with his cape on, even if the weather dried or if the temperature go very warm. If he was seen to have removed his cape – he was thrown out of the race. Desgrange wanted to create a race where “men suffer and overcome the greatest of obstacles”. Desgrange said “this event is about suffering – it is about will – it is about man overcoming the elements, only reliant upon his heart and his determination”. Desgrange believed in “muscular Christianity” the belief that toil purified the soul and made a person better for having suffered physically. Londre sets out a very insightful account of the 1924 TDF. He starts by describing the start in Paris at 1.30am in the morning. 157 men had turned up at the starting line to “eat dust” as Londre described it. The good citizens in all their finery turn out to see these men of steel set out on the first stage of the 1924 TDF. Londre describes how the crowd of people cheered and whopped as these “convicts of the road in the dead of night” set off on 381km (yes folks, that’s 236 miles of racing !!!!!!!!!!!) from Paris to LeHarve (on the west coast of France), stage 1. Cycling through the night, these men rode, in total darkness. The roads were flat and open and Londre describes the first night as being “cold but clear”. Londre says that as the stage progressed “earlier conversations, were now mere whispers, as the dawn rose”. On these men went – on and on through the towns on the West Coast of France until after 15 hours (15 hours !!!!!!!!!!!), they arrived in to LeHarve at 4.00pm. Londre described the crowd in Le Harve as being excited and thrilled to see these cyclists “caked in dry dust” entering their town. The winner Bottechia finishing with a small group of cyclists. The Mayor presented the Italian with a loaf of bread ! Out of the 157 starters, 139 finished – already 18 victims on the road. 15 stages were held in all in 1924 TDF. It took these men 30 days to finish the entire 5,400 km route. The average stage was 300+ kilometers in distance. The longest stage was 482 kms (299 miles !!!!!!!!!!). Londre describes how the mountains took their effect on the riders. It is stage 10 and they have already covered 3,682 kilometres (this is the same distance as the 2004 TDF – the 1924 edition had another 1,750 kilometres further to complete !!) “I saw men with the vacant look of a dog departing this earth. Their eyes lifeless, vacant, dead” They slowly climb the Allos – the road rising, up and up relentlessly. The cyclists eyes are directed toward their handlebars, for they don’t want to look up to see what is up ahead of them. Their heads hang downward – resigned to this punishing fate. Is it sweat or tears that fall to the ground as they climb ? Who knows ? Tortuous and slow, every movement is painful, every limb aches. Their tired lifeless bodies pushing against an inhuman gradient. What makes a man do this to himself – already they have journeyed through hell, but yet they go on. What is in their souls that prevents them from getting off their infernal bikes and just going home to their families and loved ones ? Over the Allos, then on to the Col Vars and then finally the Izzard. What drives a man who is physically and mentally spent ?” Londre describes how villagers take pity on these men and how “women at the roadside hold out jugs of water so that these men can drink and quench their raw throats”. Londre describes how teenagers run along side the cyclists, in their bare feet, holding a parasol so as to protect the cyclist if only for a few seconds for the unforgiving heat of an unremitting sun. Stage 11 – Briancon to Gex : 307kms though is the breaking point. Taking in the the giant climbs of Galibier, Telegrah and Aravis. The riders are called from the bedrooms for 2.00am start. “How many kilometers today, Bague ?” they shout. Bague is Desgranges right hand man. “Oh, only 307 kms today” he replies. “Fantastic” they shout, as they make their way downstairs to start the days stage race. Londre describes the staple diet of the riders – dust ! 1924 was a very hot summer and the dust rose from the roads as they cycled. Londre records one cyclist saying “I ate dust, yummy” “We had dust for breakfast, dust for lunch and dust for dinner – dust from Le Harve to Brest to Quimper, yummy, I love my rationm of dust” “When I get back to my bath in the evening, I have to refill it three times, because the dust is everywhere – in my eyes, in my clothes, on my goggles, in my hair, between my toes ! ” At 8.00am after 6 hours riding, Millo is in terrible trouble on stage 11. “I am dead” he says to Bague. “You are dead ? You know nothing of dead. You need to remember that your mother and father will read about this race and do you want to let them down ?” “I have no tendons” says Millo. “I cannot turn my pedals”. “You have no tendons ? You have no heart that’s what you mean !” shouts Bague. “I cannot go on” says Millo “You will go on – you will go because you must go on – you must go on for your family but most of all for yourself”. Londre records that Millo finished stage 11, 3 hours after the first finisher. Londre’s account is a fascinating record of the TDF from an age when most of cannot comphrend just how tough the racing conditions were. Given the toughness of those early tours, the average speed was 24kms per hour. If you consider riding over dirt tracks with fixed wheels, covering 5,400 kms in total, that average speed is pretty impressive. Out of 157 starters only 60 men completed the 1924 TDF. The winner finished in a time of 226 hours and 18 mins. The winner was the Italian Ottavio Bottechia. The last man to finish was Victor Lafosse some 45 hours and 12 mins behind. So when you watch the highlights of LA’s 2004 victory – just recall what Londre has described here for the 1924 version, 80 years ago.

29-07.-2004, 07:59 PM

gntlmn

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