1976 Tour de France, Race Used Moto Plaque, Race Winner Lucien Van Impe

1976 Tour de France, Race Winner Lucien Van Impe

The 1976 Tour de France was an exciting spectacle. Mountain specialist Lucien Van Impe won the race in a battle with the previous winners, Bernard Thevenet and Joop Zoetemelk. Zoetemelk won three high mountain stages, including Alpe d’Huez and Puy de Dome. But this Tour became widely known for  the young Directeur Sportif of the Gitane-Campagnolo Team, Cyrille Guimard, who threatened to run Van Impe off the road with the Team Car if he didn’t attack. Feeling suddenly motivated, Van Impe attacked and won the Tour.

The revelation of the Tour, however, was Freddy Maertens, who, in his first Tour, won eight stages and the points classification and led the general classification for ten days.

Five-time winner Eddy Merckx did not join the 1976 Tour de France because he was injured. 1975 winner Bernard Thévenet left the race in the 19th stage, but at that point, it was already clear that Van Impe would win the race.

Joop Zoetmelk and Raymond Poulidor filled out the final podium in second and third overall. Giancarlo Bellini won the mountains classification with 170 points, only one point ahead of Lucien Van Impe. Enrique Martínez Heredia won the young rider classification. Heredia had already won the Tour de l’Avenir in 1974 but never broke through after this win.

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

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: 8 x 8 inches  (20 x 20 cm)

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