Classic & Vintage - Tour de France in 1895. Yes, 1895.

Everybody knows the TdF was first done by a bunch of heros in 1903 in a race organized by a well known sports magazine owner, Henri Desgranges. What a regrettably large number of people, even some serious historians and really earnest self proclaimed experts (:thumb:), don't know is that a Tour de France (Tour of France of course) was done by somebody in 1895, and Desgranges got quite a bit of inspiration for his race from this guy's exploit. Theodore Joyeux, on a shaft drive bike, completed 5500 kms in 19 days doing a complete circuit of France on his bike. This record was official and undisputed.

Anyway, Theodore had a barber's shop up in rural Lot-et-Garonne in France, and one day decided (or so the story goes, probably he had it planned) to shut his shop, hop on his bike and cycle around France. Could be he needed a break from matrimonial bliss or something, who know's ?

So this is another reason for belonging to this forum, there are people on it who don't stop at what Google or the experts say, but hop on their bike and cycle down to the home town of this sort of guy, and get you the info. What's so great about C & V is it's not just experts arguing trivia.

The attached pics are a bit lousy, I have much better originals. And to all the parts vultures out there, you need not rush to this town and try to buy the guys bike, photos, loot the bike shops and ransom the inhabitants, I ransacked the place already :crash:

Anyway, you can click on the thumbnails, they're not that bad that you can't make out what it's about.

So is he the father of Randoneuring or the father of the "Tour de France" (race).
Of course I could hope against hope that there would be an english translation of the book
but are there copies available? I can always trot out my high school and college french and try
to read it.

Thanks for the info, very interesting.
Marty

Thanks for making the ride there and posting the pics. Hard to tell with my phone but is the first pic of an early cycling magazine?

So is he the father of Randoneuring or the father of the "Tour de France" (race).
Of course I could hope against hope that there would be an english translation of the book
but are there copies available? I can always trot out my high school and college french and try
to read it.

Thanks for the info, very interesting.
Marty

The pic is of a poster made from a print of the cover of an old cyclig magaine. There may (make that "must") have been a book about this guy, but I don't have that info. Probably somebody else will know. Mag is "Le Cycle", n° 19, Dimanche (Sunday) 16 Juin (June) 1895 .

Guess he qualifies as the first guy (I might be wrong) on record as having an official Tour de France record ride. And Desgranges was definitely inspired by him. Yes, you could also call him an early cyclotourist. What beats me is the 5500 km in 19 days on a machine weighing 20 kgs, and with shaft drive. Incredible endurance and willpower. I'll post some more info when I've finished reading it and compiling the stuff. Thinking about it though, if anybody calls this guy the Father of randonneuring, there will be a civil war in the States, because Velocio has been touted as THE founder of cyclotouring, and that is now accepted fact. Might be safe to say that unless other proof emerges, Velocio (Paul de Vivie) was a leading proponent of long distance riding on geared bikes ?

Anyway, it was just great to be on a bike outside of what was his shop ! A "must" visit for anybody touring France and heading Dordogne / Lot et Garonne way.

Thanks for the research B3000, impressive work. Seeing as Maurice Martin organised the first brevets in 1888 in France, Joyeux isn't the 'father of randonneuring'.