Gilman, fastest of the newspaper couriers
Finish of Mme. Athanase, first of the women
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Gilman, fastest of the newspaper couriers |
Finish of Mme. Athanase, first of the women |
The annual Critérium des Porteurs de Journaux, which unrolled for 27 km across the streets of the capital Sunday morning, was won by the "outsider" Gilman, in 55m 32s, the favorites Lenoir and Flahaut having been outdistanced. Lorgeou, of Le Miroir des Sports, was the best of the veterans.
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At the start line: the team of l'Intran |
The women wait for the signal |
The team of Pour Vous |
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In the heart of l'Intran: Preparations for the start |
The two winners: Gilman (men) et Mme Athenase (women) both from la Presse |
Before the start: an image caught from the office of l'Intran |
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The winner in action, just before the finish |
The competitors [viennent de s'envoyer]. Perched on the roof of a taxi, a reporter [photographe les prend au voi.] |
2nd: Monier, of l'Intran at speed |
The 4th Critérium des porteurs de journaux, organized by l'Intransigeant and l'Echo des Sports, was again a sporting success. Every year we see the record for the 27 kilometers lowered, in such extraordinary conditions, that ordinary racers confess that they would forfeit if they had to make the same effort. Mauclair told us for his part that having attempted one year to follow the race, he had abandoned. However, Mauclair...
Gilman the victor, improved his cadence, courage - the end was hard - and resourcefulness, since for the middle of the race it is said that with legs, the head is also needed. Second, Monier, a very agreeable young man also in his position, should have been able to finish a little better perhaps... But it is too easy to criticize. He raced very well, but he perhaps made a mistake by not following Gilman. I have the idea - I could be wrong - that the boulevard Diderot should have allowed him to get closer to the leader. Because on cobbles, Gilman appears to me hardly beatable. He knows them individually.
29 km/h for Gilman. About 22 km/h for Mme Athanase who won the ladies category. About the same for the injured Morlet. Cyclists, my brothers, have a go in similar conditions. You will be hot - and quite crestfallen.
The most popular of Parisian races - in the course of which the actors bring sport to the door of the audience - raced under a clear sky, in ideal conditions. The cobbles were dry, the asphalt it shone with oil, as is its habit. It was treacherous. There were crashes, and serious ones. As destiny knocks randomly, or, perhaps, because it sees clearly, he eliminated a dangerous triplet, just like that. Lenoir, last year's winner, slipped out on the boulevard Courcelles, taking out Flahaut, a previous winner, and Garaudet, of l'Intran, second last year and a big favorite. Lenoir got back in the saddle and finished with more courage than brilliance. The two others, injured, abandoned.
Jeanson, from the car, Gilman's boss, encouraged him with his voice, announcing the treasures he would shower upon him, at place du Tertre. Junka, Monier's boss, precariously balanced on the back seat of a motorbike, shouted himself hoarse: "Allez, Monier! Bravo, Monier! Monier, you'll win!" As for Monier, as for his soft youthful and pinkish face, he thought of the joy of his three small children if he hit the jackpot. And he gave it his all, believe you me.
Gilman had the number 7. Mrs Athanase, his teammate, the number 17. I do not know how one could confuse them by their numbers. But people who saw Gilman passing shouted - having referred to newspapers - : "Bravo, Madam!" "A mediocre lady! " whispered Paul Busnel and both Renés, Lehmann and Birre, in the commissar's car. But Gilman could be flattered by the confusion, he did not have to be Mrs Athanase, taken to be Gilman.
The rue Lepic was jam-packed. The public likes climbs of Golgotha. Gilman, dismounted, pushed his bike, trotting along. One instant they thought that he was blown, finished, dead. But the end was near! A final push! And it was won.
Up here, on the butte, under the bored look of the mobile nurses, kisses for the victors wore out lips. Then the ministerial congratulations of the kind and sporting Henry-Paté, saying to the women's winner: "You have, madam, on your cheeks a pink which you did not buy at the perfume shop, sportswoman's red. It is one that should be seen on the cheeks of all young women! ' Monsieur Paté, firstly, it is not given to all young women to carry, on a bike, fifteen kilograms of paper, for 1 hour 15 minutes, over around 30 kilometers. Secondly, I am convinced that Mme Athanase was attentive, became again a woman, and took her box with powder and lipstick...
... But Henry-Paté says something else and expresses eloquently the unspoken feelings of all. To know that the excellent and worthy popularity of this race was owed to the fact that, by her, the sporting effort of work is proclaimed.
And it is perhaps because of this, this respect for the effort of labor, that the big crowd, on the course, was so kind, so understanding, so sporting!
Article scan courtesy of Aldo Ross.
Gilman crosses the finish line at Place du Tertre
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2 nearly identical photos from Match l'Intran, probably taken prior to the start of the race, showing what I assume to be the l'Intran team with the French-Canadian hockey star of the early 1930s, Charles Ramsey.
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