Pic of the Day 25 December, 2007 Bartali in 1937
A very young looking 23-year-old Gino Bartali crests the Ballon d'Alsace climb on stage four of the 1937 Tour de France. Bartali was 2nd over the top, after Erich Bautz of Germany, who would go on to win the stage in Belfort. Bartali finished 2nd on the stage, and moved into 3rd on G.C. On stage seven Bartali would move into the lead after winning the monstrous stage from Aix les Bains to Grenoble over the Col du Télélegraphe and Col du Galibier. Bartali held the Yellow Jersey for two days, but crashed into an icy mountain stream on stage eight, loosing nine minutes on the stage. Ill and injured, Bartali lost the Yellow Jersey the next day, continued to loose time, and abandoned the Tour on stage eleven. But Bartali would be back in 1938 to dominate the race and win over 18 minutes from Félicien Vervaecke and Victor Cosson. From "Match l'Intran" No.578, 6 July 1937.
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Aldo Ross
Middletown, Ohio, USA