A very sincere "Thank You" for all the emails, on and off the List, in response to my request for info abou Anquetil's frame sizes.
Most replies referred to the information in Daniel Rebour's book, in which the dimensions of Anquetil's Helyett frame were given.
I had taken an enlightened guess that the frame would be either a 55 or a 56 cm one, based on scrutinising numerous photos, and was surprised, but pleasantly so, because the frame sent to me claimed to be one of Anquetil's is larger than either of those measurements, when I read that he rode a 57cms one.
Anquetil was only about 5'9.5" tall, but his inside leg measurement was 33"..so he had a short torso..but still, according to Rebour rode a frame with a 57cms top-tube, and something approaching an 11cms stem. It's a pity he didn't have his frames built by Bespoke Cycles of Settle, then he would have had a frame with a shoret top-tube that he could really have motored on. (Just a bit of tongue in cheek, guys!)
Any way..the frame I have is a 58cms..but it is stamped on the top-eye plates with "J.A" in vertical form..true to Carre's way of designating frames. This frame appears, by colour, although all the decals seem to have been removed, to date from Anquetil's period riding for Gitane in the 63/64 years.
Perhaps the larger frame accounts for the peculiar pedalling technique that Anquetil had,in which his toes always pointed downwards. Pretty inelegant, but highly effective nevertheless.
I now have the UK's self-appointed Anquetil expert on the case.. and I have just contacted a French cyclist who knew Carre..and Anquetil, when he, not Anquetil, was a Commissaire for the FFC.
Just to make the investigation more interesting I have found the address of Bernard Guyot, who rode with Anquetil in the 66 (I think that was the year) Grand Prix des Nations, finishing second. I also have Guyot's Lejeune frame from that year..or at least one of them. It too is a Carre-built one, with the initials "B.G" stamped in the top-eye plates..so I hope to make some contact with him to get both a firm provenance on the Lejeune and to find out more about Anquetil. The mystery deepens.
Thanks again
Norris Lockley..Settle UK