By the way, Herse's team won the "Challenge des Constructeurs" every time from 1948 until the 1970s. This classification took the three best-placed riders placings, and whoever had the lowest number won. (For example, if your guys come in 1, 3 and 5, your result is 9.) In fact, most years, the fastest rider was on Herse's team.
Herse was very generous in his support of competitive randonneurs. It helped his publicity, no doubt, but he really put his heart into it, too.
By the way, the time of Macaudiere and Demilly in 1966 isn't much slower than the fastest times posted these days. The route as changed a bit, but the old randonneurs were as fast as any current riders... -- Jan Heine, Seattle Editor/Publisher Vintage Bicycle Quarterly c/o Il Vecchio Bicycles 140 Lakeside Ave, Ste. C Seattle WA 98122 http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com