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11-17-06, 07:58 AM
Off and on Dutch racing bikes are discussed on this forum, especially the Gazelle Champion Mondial. So I thought it worthwhile to give y'all some history of the Champion Mondial, to put everything in perspective, so to speak.
In the mid 60s, the then CEO of Gazelle mr. Breukink (yes, the father of later pro-rider and now RaboBank teammanager Erik Breukink) thought it necessary to change the somewhat conservative image of Gazelle. So he started a professional racing team, Willem II-Gazelle, with prominent names like Peter Post. A young neo-pro rider was Rini Wagtmans, who pretty soon became rather successful in stage races: 3rd in the Vuelta of 1969, 6th in the (his first) Tour de France of that year, and even 5th in the Tour of 1970.
As far as I know, the Willem II-Gazelle team were riding the first incarnations of the Champion Mondial. I visited the office of mr. Wagtmans company (Gowa) yesterday, where one of his Gazelle's is displayed. Or rather, it was just standing there in the entrance hall, nobody there, who would have stopped me putting it into the trunk of my car? (My conscience probably!).
Anyway, it gave me a chance to look over the details of the frame, the components (hey! Sugino chainset???). Actually, it is exactly like any other Champion Mondial from the 70s that I have seen, only a bit simpler: simpler 'butterfly' brake bridge, simple fork crown, no braze-ons, etc. Nothing magical here, it would seem.
Frame number: 2852788, with '70' stamped into the shell as well, so that's a 1970 frame.
If the second pic (taken in the TdF of 69) is any indication, they were well-handling frames!
In the mid 60s, the then CEO of Gazelle mr. Breukink (yes, the father of later pro-rider and now RaboBank teammanager Erik Breukink) thought it necessary to change the somewhat conservative image of Gazelle. So he started a professional racing team, Willem II-Gazelle, with prominent names like Peter Post. A young neo-pro rider was Rini Wagtmans, who pretty soon became rather successful in stage races: 3rd in the Vuelta of 1969, 6th in the (his first) Tour de France of that year, and even 5th in the Tour of 1970.
As far as I know, the Willem II-Gazelle team were riding the first incarnations of the Champion Mondial. I visited the office of mr. Wagtmans company (Gowa) yesterday, where one of his Gazelle's is displayed. Or rather, it was just standing there in the entrance hall, nobody there, who would have stopped me putting it into the trunk of my car? (My conscience probably!).
Anyway, it gave me a chance to look over the details of the frame, the components (hey! Sugino chainset???). Actually, it is exactly like any other Champion Mondial from the 70s that I have seen, only a bit simpler: simpler 'butterfly' brake bridge, simple fork crown, no braze-ons, etc. Nothing magical here, it would seem.
Frame number: 2852788, with '70' stamped into the shell as well, so that's a 1970 frame.
If the second pic (taken in the TdF of 69) is any indication, they were well-handling frames!