I have been lulled out of contented lurkdom by this extraordinary discussion. Surely this is a joke or something, the notion that Mercier, the bike, the team, its record, is not at the top tier of all that is wonderful about the classic era of professional cycle racing? Surely this cannot be serious. Mercier was one of the last pro teams sponsored by a cycle manufacturer. It was run, for years, by one M. Antonin Magne, a two-time TdF champion for heavens sake. The team bikes were indeed pink when the TdF finally allowed sponsored teams intead of national ones in '62. And if anyone thinks a pink professional Mercier team bike isn't the definition of classic cycling cool, you need to switch to collecting BMX bikes. Or toasters. The purple/yellow jerseys were just as elegant and distinctive, Magne forbidding zippers on them for ages as a true Old School manager. And even Pou-Pou is held in disrepute around here. Mon dieu. The guy placed 3rd in the 1976 TdF at age 40. Poulidor or Anquetil remains, even now, the boxers or briefs sidetaking question in France. You lot would say Coppi and be deported within 24 hours.
But there's no convincing most folks around here about anything French in cycling, is there? All of those horrid pink Mercier pros you find should be put on eBay for a Buy it Now for $199 with a warning about French threading, stems and squeeling Mafacs. How many can Jerry and I buy between us? How many have you got?
Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA