Happy New year everybody.
As a change or aside to debating which Italian made the best American bicyc le, here's an interesting anecdote. During the 1953 TDF Robic loaded a 10 k g (right, ten kilograms) lead dummy water bottle at the top of his climb. T he aim being to go faster down the Tourmalet. This was the Cauterets-Luchon stage, which he won. Don't know what bottle holder he was using.
Nick March, Agen, 47000 France