'The cycle circuit of France, the Jongest and most exacting race of its kind in the world, was won by Italian named Bottecehia, whose arrival at the finishing-post' at the Fare ides Princes velodvome was essed by 50,000 enthusiastic spectators.
The size of this crowd is typical of the interest aroused all over the country by this colossal test of courage and endurance, The in habitants of almost every town and village through which the riders passed turned out in a mass to see them. In many places the obstruetion caused by spectators on foot and in motor-ears was. positively dangerous to the competitors. One of them was actually ridden' dows. and dragged along for some yards by a car. Bottecchia was bowled over by an officious dog and narrowly escaped serious injury.
Out of 157 riders who started out from Paris on June 22 on the Journey of 9,385. miles, only 61 completed it. There were 15 stages, separated by a day's rest, and some of them were over 250 miles. The course was from Paris to Havre, westward to Cherbourg and Brest, then southward along the const to Bayonne, eastward along the snees to Nice, than northward through the Alps to Briancon, Metz, Strashuye and Dunkivk, and finally back to Paris, The average distance per day to me covered vas about 225 miles.
'The start generally took place about 2 army and the riders were exposed to chilly nights and intensely hot days. In the northwest, they had day of rainequalls, In the mountains they had to' climb. terrific radients and tear down the other lo ut breakneck speed. Most of them drank great quantities of Tiguid, "and some drenched themselves with buckets of water as a relief from the heat. In the high ei'itudes they stuffed newspapers Sunder their Jerseys to keep out the the majority of the riders were professionals employed by leading firms of bicycle and tyre makers, who had staffs of masseurs and mechanics to look after the riders and machines at every stopping Face, The other competitors were ambitious amateurs, some of whom came unaided through this terrible test of endurance. One is a well-to-do farmer. Another, who broke down, is a Paris cyclist policeman. He evidently looks upon the race as. busman's holiday. The notary. who started in the 1923 event was net allowed to compete this year. tis mother, who acts as his trainer, did not consider him fit. She says she will look after bim daring the 1925 race if she can get him into proper condition!
Winner's Life Ambition Realized.
Bottecchia, the winner, was originally a stonemason. It occurred to him one day, on reading a news-Faber containing accounts of cycle races, that he perhaps had more money in his legs than in his arms. He began to train, became a.professional cyclist, and started out with the intention of making 150,000 lire, this being the amount which he considered necessary to rebuild the family home and create a nestexg. This laudable ambition is now accomplished.
In the Tour de France race, prizes are given not only for the best Himes over the whole distance, but for the winner of each stage, and Bottecchia's total gains are in the neighbourhood of 100,000 fr. Having reaped sufficient glory and pelf, he is now retiring from the ranks of professional cyclists, but threatens to provide a substitute in the person of another Italian stonemason who, he says, can do even better.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.