Cycling/Zimmermann/Raleigh/Bordeaux. Lithograph: "Raleigh de - Lot 152

Cycling/Zimmermann/Raleigh/Bordeaux. Lithograph: "Raleigh de Nottingham, agent pour le Sud Ouest Chas Treps and Co, 3 cours de Tourny, Calcott Bros, Bayliss Thomas...". In the center in Zimm color, after G.Moore. 130X98. BE, slight traces of folding. Imprimerie A.Bellier, Bordeaux. The American from Camden, Arthur Augustus Zimmerman, is so tall that we don't even mention his name for this Bordeaux outing!!!! For Desgrange, who had run against him, he was a demigod and more. Winged Mercury's foot, red on a blue jersey, "he cleaves the air". This poster evokes one of the twin peaks of world cycling: the invincible Flying Yankee, first and foremost the Raleigh champion, but also Bordeaux, and its Parc velodrome (333m), then THE best track in France. In 1894, all records were broken in Bordeaux, which eclipsed the Parisian tracks, and Zim was at the top of his game. He was 25 years old, weighed 76kg, was 1m80 tall, reeled at 200 rpm, and had a record as long as both arms, the world amateur title in 1893, and hundreds of victories. As an amateur, he could only win prizes in kind, in return for which, between 1892 and 93, he collected dozens of pianos, bicycles, wine cellars and works of art! He raced against Desgrange and ridiculed him, the Mozart of velodromes and speed. And we're not even talking about his lap, km or mile records. The "flying man", who crushed Barden, Wheeler, M.Farman, Médinger, Louvet and Dumond in Paris, performed in Bordeaux for the first time on July 29. He arrived two days early, where he and his staff (Troy, the coach, Rue, the masseur, Erwin) were welcomed by Messrs Martin, Busquet and Charles Treps (local agent for Raleigh, and a former great regional champion, according to Francis Gonzalez, the irreplaceable Aquitaine historian). After paying his respects at the monument to the late champion Georges Cassignard, who had died a year earlier in an accident in Paris, he gave a new recital at the Parc, with Henri Loste, Fortuny and Vigneaux paying the price, both in pure speed and on the lap (333m333 in 22s). It was an unforgettable day for the Bordelais. From there, the American went on to score a string of victories in England (Aston, Herne-Hill, Leicester, Newcastle)... After overcoming his crashes and opponents, he returned to Paris, where he wrung out his compatriot Banker, Edwards and Médinger. Meanwhile, in Bordeaux, the brothers Henri and Ernest Loste continued to outdo each other in tandem, also breaking records on the enchanted Parc track. In Geneva, it's Champion and Bozino, whom Zim executes. But in Aquitaine, the event of the year is being "staged", that of THIS poster for Birmingham's Raleigh: "et si on s'y mettait à deux pour battre l'invincible", suggests Victor Breyer in "Le Véloce Sport", and what if the invincible met the fire tandem of the Loste brothers? It would be on September 16 in Bordeaux, THE match of the year. Over 7,000 spectators flock to the sun-drenched velodrome, and the Loste brothers are as sharp as swords. They've just beaten the tandem lap record in 21s3/5, and Henri completed the kilometer in 1mn10s1/5, a world record. Chas Treps rubs his hands, Jiel-Laval, his rival from the Allées de Tourny, a little less so. The arena goes wild, the fever unprecedented, the heart of world cycling beats in the capital of Bordeaux. The spectacle is total: Zim flies over the opening Internationale, the Loste team, mustaches flying in the wind, in their red and white jerseys, are waiting for him on the rope, for the mile (1609m) of the century. They set off slowly, building up power as the laps go by, for a breathtaking package on this track they know by heart. The crowd is on its feet, bent over, the blue jersey comes back, comes back. No, the straight is too short, the tandem triumphs by 3/4 of a length!!! Handkerchief finish, but Loste victory!!!! The tricolor flag goes up, hats, canes, flowers fly everywhere. The feat is here, in Bordeaux, achieved by the people of Bordeaux. And in the great tandem race that follows, Ernest and Henri confirm their success. In Bordeaux, people are pinching themselves, celebrating a new national holiday, the city is on fire. Chas Treps keeps a low profile, Jiel-Laval is back on top... This event, unique in the annals, is perpetuated by this rare poster, and the specialists write: "this defeat of Zim is more glorious than his previous victories" (sic)... This is Zim, the eternal (1869-1936), this is Bordeaux, the passion. An ultra-rare museum piece.