Dan
>I hope this is on topic. The Portraits of the Tour de France calendar
>for June shows Coppi and Bartali alone on a mountain with two very
>different bikes. Coppi's got a derailleur equipped bike that may be the
>original Campy Grand Sport
Coppi used Simplex in 1949.
According to VBQ Vol. 2, No. 2, the Campy Gran Sport became available
in 1950. The first Gran Sport was shown in late 1949, but seems to
have been a prototype only, never used in a race. (Anybody got a
photo to the contrary? This the "2-wire" version.)
>and Bartali's got the Marguerita? (forgot the
>name) shifting system.
Vittoria Marguerita is the one he loved, according to the Dancing
Chain and others. He bought stock in the company, or a partnership,
or something similar.
>I know from Aldo's postings of the 1949 Giro di
>Talia, that Bartali won the Giro that year. Can someone tell me the
>outcome of the Tour for that year?
Fausto won both the Tour and the Giro in 1949, according to said
article in VBQ, which is quoted from a Simplex catalogue that Chuck
Schmidt provided.
>Relating to riding style from the past, neither seems to have much seat
>post showing, but Coppi is much more stretched out on his machine than
>Bartali, who's kind of scrunched up by today's standards.
We went over that recently. Check the archives. Not to open another can of worms here.
Usual disclaimer: I am editor of VBQ and co-author of said article.
--
Jan Heine, Seattle
Editor/Publisher
Vintage Bicycle Quarterly
http://www.mindspring.com/