Boulevard Lefebvre, Cognasson is away
Oltz, who finished 2nd, crosses the Pont de l'Ourcq
Well escorted, Cognasson passes Porte Maillot at his own pace
Dimanche sera courue cette classique épreuve qui obtient chaque année tant de succés populaire. C'est à peu de chose près, 40 kilomètres qu'auront à couvrir les concurrents du Championnat: le Tour de Paris, par les fortifications, fait à peu près 34 km. et le parcours supplémentaire du Vel' d'Hiv aux fortifications et retour fait près de 6 km.
Parmi les coureurs engagés, figurent tous les "as" connus de la spécialité; le grand favori Cognasson, déjà deux fois vainqueur du Championnat; Brissard, une fois champion sur Paris; Durand, qui fut malchanceux l'an dernier; de Dosy, etc.
La voiture officielle sera, comme pour toutes les grandes courses de l'Auto, une des somptueuses voitures dont M. Boutin, directeur du garage République, rue Dieu, est concessionnaire. Suivre le peloton de tête du Championnat des triporteurs n'est pas une besogne aisée et notre ami Boutin est bien l'homme qu'il faut pour une telle course.
Les commissaires, qui seront MM. Robert Jolly, président du Gros-Cailluo Sportif; Pellerin, président des Halles Sportives, et Boutin, sont priés de se trouver très exactement à 8 heures, au Petit-Duc, ou commenceront les opérations officielles.
Rappelons que les clubs, dont nous avons donné la liste, sont priés d'envoyer ce soir à l'Auto, entre 18 heures et 19 h 30, un représentant pour décider de leur "secteur" de contrôle de la course et recevoir les fanions et brassards nécessaires.
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Boulevard Lefebvre, Cognasson is away |
Oltz, who finished 2nd, crosses the Pont de l'Ourcq |
Well escorted, Cognasson passes Porte Maillot at his own pace |
For the seventh time, the triporteurs have disputed, Sunday morning, their annual race called: championship.
From a strictly sporting point of view, it is a competition in which interest is strongly disputable, but without a doubt this Championnat des triporteurs is quite public. There is not a passer-by, some absolute layman, who does not cast an eye in interest or amusement on this caravan of multicolored, three-wheeled boxes jolting and tossing in all directions, turning on 2 wheels and passing with a deafening din.
The organizers were strongly advised to preserve a course like that of the Tour de Paris, tested last year: This same test, run in view of the Parisian public, has 10 times the success of the former routes of Paris-Versailles or Paris-Pontoise and return.
Fifty-eight competitors are reflected in the rows, obviously, the majority of them could not hold any hope, and had not come to have fun, or to give rest to their rigorous labors. In the least, they are useful to the picturesque nature of the race: in the first kilometers, they provided the inevitable repairs, the noisy collapse of nervous racers, and the herioc abandons in front of the cafes. Of course, some also found the narrow path left by the spectators and the imposing and dangerous escorts of the head of the field: we watch two brave cyclists, undoubtedly gifted with a strong pedal-stroke, holding company with the leaders through the major portion of the race!
If the Picturesque competitors were hoping for a heated sporting battle - the has-beens, perhaps? - then they were disappointed. Marcel Cognasson, the undisputed class a rider of this speciality, who could have no suitable adversary, was not challenged in the slightest. He took the head, so to speak, at the quai de Grenelle, and increased his lead bit by bit, and was never worried. He covered the 40 km course in 1h 29m 21s, which represents an average speed of 27 km/h. If one ponders that the competitors had to push a case with a load of 65 kg, one acknowledges the beutiful exploit of their success. A reflection comes quite naturally to mind: "Why not pit Cognasson in a race against a good bicycle racer? One cannot deny the exceptional strength of the push in this champion!" Obviously!
This experiment was tried last year, after Cognasson had won the race for the second time. he was put up against a good independant racer in a pursuit race at the Vel d'Hiv: the results were disasterous... for the triporteur! This tends to prove that Cognasson, who excels as a specialist of the "tri", is good only at this particular work: otherwise, he rides a little on the road, with no particular glory, with a little club in Billancourt.
The racers at the start line
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