Cycling/ Prehistory/ Pioneers/ Blaye/ Bordeaux/ Le Mans/ Aut - Lot 34

Cycling/ Prehistory/ Pioneers/ Blaye/ Bordeaux/ Le Mans/ Auto/ ACO/ Tri-tandem Silver print. This photo, in perfect condition with its touching caption, is precious for several reasons: on the one hand, it shows us a rare "tandem tricycle", a historic piece with its telescopic handlebars, double motricity and solid rubber, and on the other hand, a homogeneous, helmeted crew, out of the ordinary. Indeed, this exceptional machine was piloted by Georges Laulan de Blaye (1863-1933), one of the pioneers of velocipedics in the period 1881-1890, when he accumulated titles and world records, and by Paul Rousseau, from Bordeaux, alias Wick (1868-1941), a phenomenon. The two shared victories (in May 1887, they triumphed in Agen) and records on machines of this kind, when they weren't improving them together or with a friend (Wick-Leveilley, 50 km Libourne-Cousseau and return, in 2h12, December 5, 1886). If the former was a better runner than the latter, particularly in the matches between Bordeaux and Paris, the two cycle capitals, the latter took his revenge in the creation of press, federations and events. Omnipresent in the creation of "Le Vélo" in 1892 alongside Pierre Giffard, he was there for Paris-Roubaix 1896, for the first automobile races, for the creation of the first national or international federations in boxing, cycling (UCI) as well as aviation or aerostation. He was behind "Le Monde Sportif" with Frantz-Reichel, "L'Excelsior", "L'Argus"... A considerable body of work, including the 24 du Mans, that would take a book to sum up. We pick him up here, dapper, in 1887, he's not even 19, and his team-mate Georges is barely 24... It's a team that's going to carve out the great road in the history of sport and velocipedy. An indisputable pantheon piece 29 x 24 cm, int - ext : 38 x 31 cm - overall : 41,5 x 34,5 cm. TBE