Koblet's Big Day

On the relatively flat 11th stage of the 1951 Tour de France, from Brive to Agen, Hugo Koblet attack with 135 Kms to go, riding away from all of his adversaries and finishing 2' 35" ahead of the next rider. Three days he would take the Yellow Jersey, and stretched-out a lead all the way to Paris, where he finished 22 minutes ahead of Raphaël Géminiani.

Lots of details in the pic... here we see Koblet in full flight, yelled on by his team manager Alex Burtin. Note the goggles, hats, riveted megaphone, spare wheels sans tubulars, and details of the Hotchkiss-built "Jeep".

There are some spare tubulars hanging over the driver's shoulder... is one wrapped in paper (note the diagonal stripes), or is that something else?

From "But et Club - Le Miroir des Sports" No.304, 16 July 1951.

(Click on pic for larger image)