1975 Tour de France, Race Used Moto Plaque, Winner Bernard Thevenet

1975 Tour de France, Race Winner Bernard Thevenet
A Legendary Year in Tour History

Eddy Merckx entered the 1975 Tour de France as the undisputed favorite. Having triumphed in all five of his previous Tour participations, Merckx started the 1975 season in stellar form, securing victories in Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. A win on this Tour would have elevated him to the unprecedented achievement of six Tour de France victories.

However, the prospect of Merckx surpassing French cycling legend Jacques Anquetil’s five-win record stirred resentment among French cycling enthusiasts. Tensions boiled over during Stage 14’s ascent of the Puy de Dôme when a disgruntled spectator punched Merckx, who was in yellow.

Following a rest day, the race recommenced with Stage 15, a challenging mountain stage from Nice to Pra Loup. Visibly suffering, Merckx faltered on the climb to Pra Loup, allowing Bernard Thévenet to attack 2 km from the finish and win the stage by 2 minutes. Thévenet seized the stage victory and, ultimately, the yellow jersey in Paris. Thévenet’s dominance was evident as he finished 2 minutes and 47 seconds ahead of Merckx and an impressive 5 minutes and 7 seconds ahead of the third-place finisher, Lucien Van Impe.

In today’s racing, the race organizer cars, team vehicles, and other participants of the official race caravan have disposable stickers affixed to the windshields. Slipping a bit into the way back machine, there was a time when the cars had plaques attached to the front of all race vehicles.

As with most things ephemeral, the majority of the plaques were promptly tossed in the trash once the race was finished. The ones that survived have become quite collectible.

Made of Plastic

Size: 7 7/8 x 7 7/8  inches  (20 x 20 cm)

This is a one-of-a-kind item; please look carefully at the photos to determine the condition.