Description

Championnat de France de vitesse

Speed ​​(or sprint) is one of the events on the program of the French track cycling championships. It is considered the flagship event of track cycling.

From 1881 to 1890, the race was held over 10 kilometers. From 1891 to 1892, the championship was run over 5 kilometers. In 1893 and 1894, two championships were held: one over 5 kilometers and one over 1 kilometer. The race was contested over 2 kilometers in 1895 and 1896, before being contested over two laps since 1897.

History

The creation of the French speed championship dates from September 25, 1881 . The first event was run not on a velodrome, but in the heart of Paris, on the Place du Carrousel, in the Jardin des Tuileries. The machines used were bicycles and the distance of the test was 10 kilometers. Frédéric de Civry took the first official trophy and renewed his victory in 1882 (August 13) by beating Paul Médinger and Charles Terront in Grenoble. Until 1888 the rules are not modified and we run 10 kilometers on a bicycle (except in 1887 over 3 kilometers). Médinger affirms his superiority by winning at Agen in 1883 (June 24 and 25), at the Tuileries in Paris in 1884 (September 28), and on the Place des Quinconces in Bordeaux in 1885 (May 31). In 1887 (June 12) in Lyon, on Place Bellecour, he won for the fourth time the envied title held for 1886 (July 4) by the British rider Herbert O. Duncan, winner at Agen of the popular Charles Terront, the winner of Paris-Brest-Paris of 1891. At Pau in 1888 (1 July), victory for Paul Chéreau. In 1889, the event was not contested ¹.

From 1890, bicycles were the machines of the riders and in Cognac (September 14), over 10 kilometers, Louis Cottereau beat Médinger who, the following year, settled in Agen over 5 kilometers over Georges Cassignard and Henri Béconnais. Cassignard was unbeatable in 1892 and 93, at Bayonne and at the Seine velodrome. Béconnais, Antony, and Lucien Louvet were his most serious rivals and Cassignard even offered himself the luxury of also winning the championship over 5 kilometers, beating Médinger and Baras . Still, at the Seine velodrome, Mercier and Maurice Farman in 1894 and Gougoltz, the popular champion in the black jersey with a golden turtle in the crest, beating Bourillon and Morin, were victorious over one or two kilometers. 1896 dates the first victory of Edmond Jacquelin. In 1897 we run at the Parc des Princes over 1.333 meters. Bourillon triumphed and renews his victory in 1899, Morin before winning the title in 1898. Jacquelin is at his peak. He won in 1900; the following year he succumbed in the final behind Jue and Bourotte. Jacquelin regains his title in 1902, beating Domain and Jean-Baptiste Louvet, but in 1903 it was Victor Thuau, who had become a jockey and owner, who took away the title. Gabriel Poulain was a finalist and an excellent third ¹.

Excerpt from Wikipedia.fr with translation by Google

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Size 9 x 14 cm