I BELIEVE Polymultipliée refers to the fact that multiple gears were used. For example the Criterium du Polymultipliée held at Chanteloup was a race for bikes with gears. Pros had their own category, cyclotouristes another. I have to rules for the cyclotouristes, which were somewhat similar to the technical trials with their penalties for broken bikes and parts. No bonus for lightweight, though. But the course saw to that. For the cyclotouristes, there was a tandem category. Lily Herse, daughter of René, won the latter several times. Seems that the teams of the constructeurs went there to compete just like the trials, but the emphasis was on speed. (As long as your bike was 100% intact and you came first, you won.)
There were other Polys, and I am not sure whether they followed a similar format as the one at Chanteloup... I've only heard the pro race mentioned for Chanteloup.
Hope this helps. Another topic that needs more research...
Jan Heine, Seattle
>
>Message: 10
>Date: Sun, 7 Jul 2002 16:18:44 -0700 (PDT)
>From: scott davis <francopedia@yahoo.com>
>To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>Subject: [CR]Pardon my FRENCH, "Poly" Transaltion????
>
>For a long time, I've heard the term, "Poly"
>associated with old vintage French bikes, such as RH
>and Singers. In Japan, they still hold a Poly-Japon
>vintage touring meet. In some 1950ish French
>magazine, I saw reference to "Criterium de la Poly,"
>and "Polymultipliee." It seems that the latter term
>refers to tandems. Does anyone know the meaning or
>purpose of the poly events? Scott Not Polylingual
>enough in St. Paul, MN Davis