B
Bob Schwartz
Guest
In 1958 the Tour was still contested as national and regional
teams. What this meant to Charly Gaul was that as a Luxembourger
he entered the race with only two countrymen at his side, as
part of a combined Luxembourg/Holland team. In comparision the
French national team boasted 12 riders including the winners
of the previous 5 editions including the defending champion,
Jacques Anquetil. Of the challengers only the Italians, Belgians,
and Spanish fielded complete teams. The French supplemented their
national team with three full regional teams.
This did not look good for Gaul, but the abundance of mountains
gave hope to riders like him and the Eagle of Toledo, Federico
Bahamontes.
The first time trial took place at the end of the first week and
Gaul chose to attack Anquetil in his strongest event. He won it
by 7 seconds and though he still trailed Anquetil in the GC, he
had taken the first round.
Three hard stages in the Pyrenees followed. Geminiani emerged in
a battle with the Italian Vito Favero for the lead, and with an 8
minute gap to Anquetil. Gaul was a further 1:25 behind Anquetil.
The second time trial ascended Mont Ventoux and on a day like that
which would prove fatal to Tom Simpson years later Gaul claimed a
stage that climber Bahamontes badly wanted. Finishing 31 seconds
ahead of the Spaniard and over four minutes before Anquetil it
was still too early to consider him a favorite.
The following day featured attacks by Geminiani and Anquetil, and
Gaul lost 11 minutes on the day. He lost still more time on the
next day to Briancon, a stage won by Bahamontes. Gaul would need
something special to pull out this Tour.
And something special is exactly what happened on the 21st stage
from Briancon to Aix les Bains, a stage contested in appalling
conditions over five climbs in the Chartreuse. On one of those
epic days that lives forever in Tour history he arrived in Aix
in 'une pluie glaciale', almost 8 minutes before the second placed
rider, 14:25 ahead of Geminiani, and over 23 minutes ahead of
Anquetil.
Gaul, the Angel of the Mountains, took his third time trial and
the yellow jersey in Dijon, the day before the finish. He rode
into Paris in yellow with his countrymen Marcel Ernzer and Jempy
Schmitz.
We remember him on this day, as a great rider, one of the greatest
climbers ever, and later in his life as a great human being.
http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/images/legendes/gaul_chartreuse.jpg
Bob Schwartz
teams. What this meant to Charly Gaul was that as a Luxembourger
he entered the race with only two countrymen at his side, as
part of a combined Luxembourg/Holland team. In comparision the
French national team boasted 12 riders including the winners
of the previous 5 editions including the defending champion,
Jacques Anquetil. Of the challengers only the Italians, Belgians,
and Spanish fielded complete teams. The French supplemented their
national team with three full regional teams.
This did not look good for Gaul, but the abundance of mountains
gave hope to riders like him and the Eagle of Toledo, Federico
Bahamontes.
The first time trial took place at the end of the first week and
Gaul chose to attack Anquetil in his strongest event. He won it
by 7 seconds and though he still trailed Anquetil in the GC, he
had taken the first round.
Three hard stages in the Pyrenees followed. Geminiani emerged in
a battle with the Italian Vito Favero for the lead, and with an 8
minute gap to Anquetil. Gaul was a further 1:25 behind Anquetil.
The second time trial ascended Mont Ventoux and on a day like that
which would prove fatal to Tom Simpson years later Gaul claimed a
stage that climber Bahamontes badly wanted. Finishing 31 seconds
ahead of the Spaniard and over four minutes before Anquetil it
was still too early to consider him a favorite.
The following day featured attacks by Geminiani and Anquetil, and
Gaul lost 11 minutes on the day. He lost still more time on the
next day to Briancon, a stage won by Bahamontes. Gaul would need
something special to pull out this Tour.
And something special is exactly what happened on the 21st stage
from Briancon to Aix les Bains, a stage contested in appalling
conditions over five climbs in the Chartreuse. On one of those
epic days that lives forever in Tour history he arrived in Aix
in 'une pluie glaciale', almost 8 minutes before the second placed
rider, 14:25 ahead of Geminiani, and over 23 minutes ahead of
Anquetil.
Gaul, the Angel of the Mountains, took his third time trial and
the yellow jersey in Dijon, the day before the finish. He rode
into Paris in yellow with his countrymen Marcel Ernzer and Jempy
Schmitz.
We remember him on this day, as a great rider, one of the greatest
climbers ever, and later in his life as a great human being.
http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/images/legendes/gaul_chartreuse.jpg
Bob Schwartz