To dispute the challenge Petit Parisien the porteurs de journaux will take, at 8 this morning, on rue de Réaumur, the start of their annual critérium.
One hundred racers are signed up.
Here we see the itinerary of the race:
Rues Réaumur, Montmartre, du Faubourg-Montmartre, Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, Fontaine, de Douai, place Clichy (control at the Café du Muguet, run by the Véloce Club du XVIIe).
Boulevards des Batignolles, de Courcelles, place des Ternes, rue Saint-Ferdinand, avenue de la Grande-Armée (control at the Tabac Maillot, run by the Societé Sportive de Suresnes et le V. C. Neuilly).
Avenue de Malakoff, place du Trocadero, rue Franklin, boulevard Delessert, rue Lenôtre, avenue de Tokio, pont de Passy, rue de la Fédération, avenue de Suffren (control at the Café Le Suffren, run by V. C. Grenelie Sportif).
Rue Perignon, avenue de Saxe, place de Breteuil, avenue de Saxe, rue de Sèvres, boulevards du Montparnasse, de Port-Royal, avenue des Gobelins, place d'Italie (control at the Brasserie Rozès, run by the section cycliste du Stade Français).
Boulevard de la Gare, pont de Bercy, quai de la Rapée, rue Villot, de Rambouillet, Erard, de Reuilly, boulevard Diderot, place de la Nation (control at the Café de la Nation, run by the Pédale Charentoise).
Boulevards de Charonne, de Ménilmontant, de Belleville (control at the Café de Vielleuse, run by Rivoli Sportif).
Boulevards de la Villette, de la Chapelle, Rochechouart, place Blanche (control at the Café-Restaurant Coquet, run by Château-d'áu Sportif).
Rue Lepic, place J. B.-Clément (finish at about 10 o'clock).
La Commune libre du Vieux-Montmartre recevra les concurrents.
This morning, for the eleventh time, the porteurs de journaux disputed their annual criterium, organized by l'Intransigeant, across Paris.
In spite of the orderly service which facilitated the passage of the competitors, they needed their usual skill as "roule-toujours" to jump rails, to thread through the many following cars to bring intact to the race finish, situated way up on the Butte in the place J.B. Clément, the heavy package of newspapers fixed firmly to the tool of their trade; their bicycle.
This critérium was a great success with the public, many of whom gathered all along the course, vocally encouraging those which bring the latest news to the most distant parts of Paris every day.
To win this race it is necessary to be skilful and a bit of an acrobat; such is the case of Chimberg, who won a clear victory yesterday.
Well accompanied, he started to drop his competitors along the difficult climb of the rue Fontaine. At place Clichy, he had clearly escaped. Pedalling with an easy grace, he passed through the Trocadero with 15" lead, which he increased to 40" by the place d'Italie. Behind him, the battle was fought between Legrand, Tison and Soulimant. Legrand, one moment second, fell at place de la Nation and was caught by his chasers and even dropped. During this time Chimberg always slipped away, increasing his lead... and arrived at the rue Lepic. A final effort and then came the triumph.
On the place J. B. Clément, a large crowd was kept in check by the servants of order directed by Mr. Coquelin, commisaire of the arrondissement. And the commune libre du vieux Montmartre, having at its head its mayor, Pierre Labric, greeted the winner, all smiles in spite of his exhaustion.
The challenge du Petit Parisien, a competition for teams of six men, was won by the team of Hachette-Paris-Soir, who had the same number of points as the team of Messageries Hachette; but having the best man on general classification, Hachette-Paris-Soir retain the challenge for another year
Results:
1. Chimberg (Paris-Sport) 49' 16" 3/5; 2. Soulimant (Intransigeant) 50' 41"; Legrand (Hachette-Paris-Soir); 4. Tison (Intran); 5. Couturier (Coopérative des porteurs); 6. Tixidre; 7. Petit; 8. Jarousse; 9. Klein; 10. Lacroix;
Challenge du Petit Parisien (for teams)
1. Hachette-Paris-Soir, 137 points; 2. Messageries Hachette, 137 pts; 3. Paris-Sport, 171 pts; 4. Intran-Match, 205 pts; 5. la Veine, 211 points.
Plainly in the lead, Chimberg, winner of the championship of the newspaper couriers, reaches the top of rue Lepic.
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An interesting action picture of Chimberg. |
Soulimant and Tison, in pursuit of Chimberg. |
The newspaper couriers, picturesque sihouettes familiar to all Parisians, agile messengers who amuse and fill us with wonder each with their incredible virtuousity, their merry spirit and their spontaneous eloquence, dispute with joy each year a championship which for them is truly a festival. With their work bikes loaded with a large packet of newspapers weighing 15 kilos, the hardy "porteurs" accomplished, Sunday morning, their habitual circuit through the streets of the capital. The weather did not stay good, the roads were terribly slippery, and it was ultimately a frightening test of acrobatics, as much for the followers on bicycles and in cars, as it was for the 100 competitors. There were, of course, many falls and pile-ups; it is a miracle that there were no serious accidents. One might think that perhaps in the future the venue of this championship might be moved, perhaps to the circuit of Longchamp, as it seemed to us this year that there smaller crowds than is usual, out in the streets to watch and encourage the passing of the "roule-toujours".
The race of the "porteurs", while it does not lack in color or the picturesque, is never very animated; it is, above all, we would say, a test of acrobatics and intelligence: those who can thread through the terrible riders and dangerous obstructions at the start have the best chances, barring accidents, to place well at the finish.
The small and clever Chimberg, who we saw recently debut at medium-distance racing in the Vélodrome d'Hiver, was undoubtably the most skillful, but it was only after the Porte Maillot, where the hot favorite, Jamain, was stopped by a fall, that the other close competitors, like Beyle and Weiss, saw their chances disapppearing.
Owner of a minute and a half lead at the edge of the place de la Nation, "Toto" Chimberg, double of "Toto" Grassin, had no further chance of being beaten. Indeed, he arrived in Montmartre, at the top of rue Lepic, with no worries, with 1m20s on Soulimant, 1m50s on Legrand, 2 minutes on Tison, Couturier, Texidre, Petit, Jarousse, Raffin, Cognasson, etc...
A Belgian team came to compete in the championship of the newspaper couriers, organized by L'Intransigeant. But the highest-placed Belgian, Dierieckx, only placed 34th.
Other competitors were even more badly distanced, and only while going back down towards the "ville" we heard with an amused smile, a quite angry young woman, scolding a competitor of mediocre talent, who had climbed the rue Lepic on foot, after having taken off his number:
What, it's the same every year? You're always too blown to finish!...
Sunday morning, through the streets of Paris, the Critérium des Porteurs de Journaux was run, organized by L'Intransigeant. this picturesque test, which has real sporting value - the winner had an average speed of 35.75 km/h, carrying a load of 15 kg... and the little climb of the hill of Montmartre - was a typical success, success in a tradition of sporting effort that is reaffirmed year after year. Here we see Chimberg, totally separated from the pack, as he passes through the intersections of the exterior boulevards and the rue de Belleville, nearing the finish/
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The departure of the competitors of the Critérium des Porteurs de Journaux, outside the office of L'Intransigeant. |
Chimberg, brilliant winner of the race, cheered on by his comrades in the final difficult slopes of the rue Lepic. |
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Shortly after his victory, at a nearby restaurant, he has a try at flipping the traditional Candlemas crêpe, fortunately without much difficulty. |
The winner of the Critérium carried in triumph. |
When, with an excellent rendition of "La Bandera", Jean Gabin started the annual Critérium des Porteurs de Journaux, organized by L'Intransigeant and Match, there was a general rush towards the Faubourg-Montmartre, on cobbles turned slippery by the rain. Immediately, six men broke away, while in the peloton falls mulitiplied: Chimberg, Legrand, Soulimant, Tison, Jamain and Beyle. Near the rue Notre-Dame-de-Lorette a new attack by Chimberg went to gather the fruits of his efforts, not having attempted to increase his lead throughout the race, despite the heated pursuit of his rivals. Is this the whole race? Undoubtedly... Perhaps it would be appropriate, nevertheless, to highlight the misfortunes of Jamain and Beyle, both misdirected - fortunately to no harm - by too-enthusiastic fans, and the crashes of Soulimant and Tison, who have not finished any less brilliantly in the lead.
Soulimant, who rode in the colors of L'Intran-Match, was a dangerous rival for Chimberg. The smallest error by Chimberg would have benefitted Soulimant, who finished quite strongly, climbing the rue Lepic literally sprinting.
After the race, Soulimant was the first to recognize the fine qualities of Chimberg, which the spectators at the Vel D'Hiv know well, since Chimberg debuted as a stayer this winter on rue Nélaton. Chimberg has been training for a few months and has made great progress. The porteurs have a great champion again this year, and Jean Gabin, while climbing up to Place de la Tertre, had fair reason to cry out:
"What strength, what will, in a little slip of a man like that!"
click here for the full-page layout of this article
Article scan courtesy of Aldo Ross.
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The annual Critérium des Porteurs de Journaux - overview of the start, rue Reaumur. |
11th Critérium des Porteurs de Journaux - Here we see the finish of the winner, Chimberg, at the top of the rue Lepic in Montmartre. |
Photos courtesy of The Horton Collection.
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