Jan Janssen & Franco Balmamion, 1967 Tour de France, Stage 20 Limoges to Puy de Dôme, Miroir Original Vintage Press Photo

A moment of truth on the climb of the Puy de Dome when Franco Balmomion (101) and Jan Janssen (64), in the Green Jersey, could not stay on the wheels of Raymond Poulidor and overall race leader Roger Pingeon.

Jan Janssen was the World Champion, winner of the 1968 Tour de France,  the 1967 Vuelta a España, the first Dutch rider to win either. He rode the Tour de France eight times and finished all but the first time. He won seven stages and wore the yellow jersey for two days (after stage 16 in 1966 and after stage 22B in 1968).  Janssen won the Points Classification at the Tour three times: 1964, 1965 & 1967. He was easily spotted in the peloton because of his blond hair and his glasses.

Franco Balmamion raced as a professional from 1961 to 1972. Balmamion was a two-time winner of the Giro d’Italia (1962 & 1963) and finished third at the 1967 Tour de France.

This image was published in Issue #89 of Miroir du Cyclisme on page 45.

These beautiful large-format original press photographs are directly from the archives of Miroir du Cyclisme and Miroir-Sprint.  The reverse of each photo bears the Miroir markings as a road map of its history and authenticity. The images are all stamped by either Miroir du Cyclisme or Miroir-Sprint; many have publication crop marks or show the page and magazine issue the photo was used in.  Some even bear a unique stamp with the name of the photographer.

Miroir du Cyclisme was a French monthly magazine, a photo-focused wonderland of cycling news and historical articles for 35 years, from 1960 to 1994. The companion publication, Miroir-Sprint, came out weekly and reported on news of various sports from 1946 to 1971. In the era before streaming and on-demand viewing, publications like Miroir were how fans kept up on racing results, followed their favorite riders, and stayed current on all things cycling.

Renowned cycling photographers Henri and Marcel Besson, Jean Jaffre, Louis Lucchesi, Roger Monnet, Roger Touchard, and others were featured prominently in both publications, and works from these important photojournalists are included in the selection offered here.

Maurice Vidal founded the magazine and ran it until he died in 1992, which directly contributed to its long-time consistent look and feel.

The issues of both these publications are a treasure trove of cycling history; art and photographs are very collectible among cycling fans.

Miroir du Cyclisme Magazine NOT included.  Image provided for reference only.

Photo Size: 12 x 9.5 inches (30.5 x 24 cm)

As the photographs are quite old and one of a kind, please look carefully at the photos to determine the condition.

This photograph is an original print – the real deal.