Goodness, Ian, what a thorough answer! Brilliant!
It is indeed Jean Robic, 1947, TdF, and a (Urago) Genial Lucifer.
It's Robic's "lap of honor" and if you look again, you'll see he IS wearing the final winner's yellow jersey with blue/white/red bands at cuff and collar, and an outline of France with writing in the center. Now then, what does the writing say?
Other pics of this bike show it to have suicide shifter in front, and rear shift lever brazed onto the downtube in the traditional location, so I think the extra levers above the brake levers are an extension of the brake levers themselves. It appears they worked by pushing against the top of the regular levers. I'm working on a sketch and will scan and post it when finished.
Congrats to everyone who recognized "Biquet."
Aldo Ross Blue Ball, Ohio
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Hurro again everyone... I have had v.bad PC problems for about a month and have only just got back on-line, and find that I had about 6 squillion e-mails in my 'box - 5.5 squillion being from the list... Can't read them all of course and started yesterday with Aldo post asking us to ID the rider in his pix... Easy-peasy... Answer:- Jean Robic 1947 Tour de France - he has just won for the Ouest France (West France) team and is at the finish at the Parc des Princes (20th July). The reason Jean is not in 'yellow' is because he snatched the Tour only on the final stage from Caen into Paris and was riding his lap of honour before being awarded the jersey (presumably) He's riding a 'Genial Lucifer' bike, equipped with:- LAM Brakes* Hutchinson tubs Simplex Gears Brampton Chain AVA 'bar and stem Mavic rims laced with 3 Etoiles spokes, I don't know the hub type (anyone?) - but using Huret wingnuts) Don't know any of the rest of the gear except that he also carried a Zefal pump. How do I know all this? - I go to France every summer and buy the right books... *Looking at another side-on pic of Robic riding the '47 Tour it is apparent that his bike has neither downtube nor handlebar end gear change levers - so these combo levers in the picture way have been some form of experimental brake / gear changer - but almost certainly friction... P.S. - Jean Robic was also famous for being the first rider to routinely use a crash hat whilst racing - very much to amusement / derision of his fellow 'pros. Luv to all you retro blokes and blokettes... Ian Briggs