Paul Guignard (FRA), The Original Speed Freak!

At the beginning of the 20th century, motor-paced racing was all the rage. Tucked close behind the big motors, the “stayer” riders -forks turned backward and gears impossibly high- absolutely flew. France’s Paul Guignard was among the best. Placing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at the World Championships of 1913, 1905, and 1921, he was also the 4-time European Champion.

Guignard began his cycling career as a road racer and, in 1895, won the Paris-Besancon 417 km race. After completing his military service, he briefly raced as a pilot and won the “Grand Prix of Algiers”. He returned to cycling in 1904 and, on 8 April 1905, set a new world record in the one-hour race at 89.904 km (behind a pacer). He won his last medal at the UCI Motor-paced World Championships in 1921, aged 45.

At the beginning of the 20th century, motor-paced racing was all the rage. Tucked close behind the big motors, the “stayer” riders—forks turned backward and gears impossibly high—absolutely flew. Once pneumatic tires came to be, speed records shot up significantly. From 1895 to 1905, the maximum speed records rose from 46km to 89km per hour. Imagine going that fast on the bike in the photo!

All of the postal cards on our site are original, with no reproductions.

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

Size 9 x 14 cm  (3.5 x 5.5 inches)