Some of you may know that I live in Nimes, France. Well, the other day this poster from The Horton Collection popped up on my Facebook Timeline, and I had little choice but to order it.
Apart from the obvious reason to have this hanging on my wall, the colors are vivid and you can nearly see my apartment up there on the hill by the Tour Magne!
The poster was made to commemorate the 13th stage of the 1949 Tour de France, which was a 289 km flat stage from Toulouse to Nimes (this wasn’t even the longest stage of the tour – 340 km for the final stage to Paris) in which a 29 year old rider named Emile Idée won.
Nicknamed the King of the Chevreuse (cycling playground of my Parisian friends….Karsten, I thought YOU were the king of the Chevreuse?), this was his only stage win in the Tour de France and I’m sure it made his career (not much else compares in importance for ‘normal riders’, even today). Amazingly, Emile is still alive and, at 99, the oldest TdF stage winner still kicking.
I am looking forward finding a spot on the wall of my cycling corner for this. Now I just need to track Emile down so he can autograph it.
Hi Gerry, that would be super if you could get his autograph. Really cool poster. I’m hoping to get a nice one at Le Grand Départ in Nice this year.
Good luck in Nice. Hope you booked the hotel already!
That FB Target Marketing was spot on. Perfect for you and great idea about the autograph! How goes the Fast?
Sam, no kidding! The fast is fine so far. After 27 hours I’m starting to feel the pangs, but nothing too bad.
Great poster!
It’s a keeper, I agree.