Quote from Rupert Guineness' book "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oui,Oiu,Oui" --"Opperman was forced to ride a heavy roadster while his manager Small repaired the broken chains. Job done, Opperman was 17 laps down and facing the prospect of defeat when he rode furiously for 11 hours straight to catch the field and then another hour to take the race lead before miraculously winning in a record of 565 miles(909km) claiming seven other records along the way. He finished 106 laps(53 km) ahead of the runner-up. So impressive was Opperman in the Bol d'Or that he even continued to take the 1000km world record. Upon the urging of Small and a Parisian crowd chanting "Allez Oppy,Allez, he defied his senses,remounted and rode another 79 minutes to break the 1000 km mark " He was so popular in France that he was voted "Most Popular Sportsman" in Europe in a readers' poll conducted by L'Auto. One of the most spectacular comebacks in cycling history and all without the aid of testosterone. Art Link-high on caffeine in San Antonio,TX,USA
Aldo Ross <aldoross4@siscom.net> wrote: From: "Aldo Ross" <aldoross4@siscom.net> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 21:36:07 -0400 Subject: [CR]Pic of the Day - Opperman Wins 1928 Boule d'Or
Seventy-Eight Years Ago - Hubert Opperman on his way to winning the 1928 Boule d'Or on the Buffalo velodrome in Paris:
http://www.wooljersey.com/
>From "Match l'Intran" No.014, 4 September 1928. Three-page article with
five pics of Opperman in action, but no mention of sabotaged chains, or Oppy
riding his interpreter's heavy bike with fenders.
>From Wikipedia: "In 1928 he won the prestigious Bol d'Or 24-hour classic at
a 500m velodrome in Paris. The feat of winning this race is even more
astounding. Both his racing bikes had been sabotaged by the chains being
filed down so that they soon failed. His manager had to find a replacement
bike quickly, and it ended up being the bicycle of his interpreter with
heavy mudguards and wheels and upturned handlebars. Effectively he was out
of the race for about an hour. But Opperman was determined and rode the old
bike for 17 hours without dismounting. He won the race by 30 minutes to the
cheers of 50,000 French citizens yelling "allez Oppy". He received a hero's
welcome when he returned to Melbourne later that year."
Aldo Ross
Middletown, Ohio