1922 was an exceptional year for sports literature. Antoine Blondin, born in Paris a few months before Pierre Chany in Langeac, first cultivated the differences before delighting the readers of L'Equipe. The Auvergne native got his start in the communist press, covering his first editions of the Tour de France for Ce Soir, while the Parisian was still filling the pages of the monarchist weekly Ici France. The talented journalists were brought together in the 101 car, which followed the Tour peloton so that the L'Equipe reporters could cover the race as closely as possible to the champions. Pierre Chany from 1953 to 1987, joined by Antoine Blondin between 1954 and 1982, were road brothers in conveying the challenges and drama of the Tour. To celebrate the 100th anniversaries of their birth, the letour.fr website offers a few samples taken from their immense archives.
Saint-Gaudens, 25 July 1955
"Charly Gaul emerges, Louison Bobet eliminates his other rivals".
Welcome to the France of Louison. In the Tour de France, Bobet began by winning hearts with some memorable victories, battling with Fausto Coppi, briefly taking the Yellow Jersey in 1948 for eight days and then finishing third in 1950. But in 1953, his streak of dominance began, with Bobet showing even more confidence in defending his title in 1954. In an attempt to complete the treble, Louison arrived at the start in Le Havre as the French national team's leader, clad in the rainbow jersey. Among his trusted lieutenants, it was Antonin Rolland who wore the Yellow Jersey after his victory on the Roubaix stage whilst Bobet started to keep the competition at bay on the Mont Ventoux stage. But the turning point came on the Toulouse to Saint-Gaudens stage and more precisely, the climb to Peyresourde. The world champion chased down Charly Gaul, who broke away from the peloton and went on to win the stage, but all his other rivals, like Italy's Pasquale Fornara and Belgium's Jean Brankart, were clearly beaten. That evening, the Breton was well and truly in the lead.
"It had become clear for a few kilometres that Louison Bobet was preparing his big offensive. Rid of his last concerns about Antonin Rolland, dropped on the Aspin climb, Le Breton could no longer postpone the decision. [...] Louison's attack occurred about six kilometres from the summit of Peyresourde, on the pass where he had suffered a dramatic setback last year. It was a brutal start, a prolonged unleashing of forces that left all the challengers of the race behind, especially Pasquale Fornara, who was already very weak on the previous climb. From that moment on, the race took on vital importance for Bobet. While Géminiani, himself surprised by the sudden attack, stayed with the Italians and Blankart, Louison started a chase with Gaul, which was going to have serious consequences. For Louison Bobet, the race's fate depended on the success or failure of this undertaking."
Read the full article by Pierre Chany in L'Equipe of 26 July 1955, on the front page and page 2.
With five days to go before the finish in Paris, the move in Saint-Gaudens stunned the competition and set Bobet on the path to his third title. He became the second cyclist to win the Tour de France three times after Philippe Thys (1913-14-20) ... and the first to do so consecutively.
