Hubert Opperman offered up an insight into the progress of variable gears in the Tdf in this wonderful testimonial for Cyclo in 1935 ;
---------- " In 1931 I raced in the Tour de France under the designation of an "Ace." The "Aces" were denied derailleurs, the "Tourist-Routiers" were allowed this device. That regulation did not mean so much to me, I had never seen the "changement vitesse" in action. Together with the brother "Aces" I was handed a practical lesson for a month. The despised second-raters won stages, slipped away in the mountains, jammed on the flat and became the "Enfants terrible" of the daily racing, because of their "CYCLO'S." The following season every important race was won by a bicycle equipped in this manner, and now it is understood that the rider facing the starter in a classic without such an attachment automatically becomes the red light of the race (Hubert Opperman, October 16th, 1935) ----------
Although in perhaps typical 30's style, the testimonial praises the virtues of the "Cyclo" and it's use and success in the Tdf, in actual fact another later advert for Cyclo indicated the of the 40 Tourist-Routiers who started the race in 1931, [only] three were actually equipped with Cyclo gears. (that said 40 in total started, 8 finished ! including all three cyclo equipped bikes)
Bob Reid
Stonehaven
Scotland