RE: [CR]Pic of the Day Eighty-Five Years Ago

(Example: Racing)

From: "Mick Butler" <pariscyclesuk@hotmail.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: RE: [CR]Pic of the Day Eighty-Five Years Ago
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2006 11:12:38 +0000


Hello Aldo, Wonderful! Just a little bit of info to add to the picture. Louis Heusgem had a brother Hector they both rode for "La Sportive". Joseph Muller "Delage". Louis Mottiat "La Sportive." Not sure about the Pelissier's could have been Automoto? Perhaps someone can answer this. The Paris-Tours route was lengthened after 1919, they added a detour through Chinon thus adding the hilly lanes on the south bank of the Loire up to the finish at Tours. This race normally had good weather and was known for high speeds, all changed in 1921 as the picture depicts. It snowed. Nearly half of the peloton climbed off at Chatres leaving the Pellissier's, Louis Mottiat and Albert de Jonghe to race ahead. At Chateaudun conditions were so dreadful even for the iron man Henri Pellissier. He took off his cape and handed it to his brother Francis. He wore two capes for the rest of the race! Legend has it that this swop was done in a cafe over a glass of Martinique Rum. Whilst this was happening Eugene Christophe caught the leaders by a superhuman effort, typical of the man who thrived on hard days. He went clear. Meanwhile Pellisier had several stops to repair his bike and himself but he chased hard and caught him three times, with Mottiat, the only other rider in the chase, who was struggling to hang on. Finally Pellissier got clear by a couple of minutes but he then punctured. His hands were frozen and he was unable to do the repair so he tore the tire off with his teeth. Riding on the rim, Pelissier caught Christophe once more and then dropped him on the climb out of Azay-le-Rideau finishing alone. Henri won in 1922 and Louis Mottiat in 24. Henri Pellissier turbulent life had a tragic end. His wife committed suicide in 1933. Two years later his girfriend Camille shot him five times during a violent row, the gun she used was the same pistol that his wife Leonie had used to end her life. Francis Pellissier became a tem manager and made a habit of winning Bordeaux-Paris. Charles Pellissier won a record 8 stages in the 1930 Tour and went on to become a popular figure in France. Talking about suicide a mate of mine went into our local library to get a book on suicide, unable to find it he approached the librarian as to what shelf it was on. She took him straight to the section and handed him the book asking him who was going to bring the book back! Every picture tells a story. Best wishes Mick


>From where the wheels don't spin as fast as they use to. Be lucky Michael Butler Huntingdon UK.

Hello Aldo, Wonderful! Just a little bit of info to add to the picture. Louis Heusgem had a brother Hector they both rode for "La Sportive". Joseph Muller "Delage". Louis Mottiat "La Sportive."


>From where the wheels don't spin as fast as they use to. Be lucky Michael Butler Huntingdon UK.