THE CYCLING TOUR OF FRANCE

The Metz-Dunkirk stage
(continued from our front page dispatch)

Add to that the incredible sporting fanaticism of the region, all the factories and all the schools and the entire population of Valenciennes, Saint-Amand, Sainghin, Lille and Armentières who flocked to the passage of the "giants"; simple enthusiastic curious people blocking the road, cyclists and motorists rushing on the broken roads of the unfortunate with a fervent and pernicious thoughtlessness, the apprentice runners especially entering the quarry without waiting for their elders to be gone and entangling them, exasperating them to who better better. The race from then on became crowded for 160 kilometers.

The sun, moreover, had begun to dart furiously and the unfortunate runners pounded blindly, lost in the crowd and in the dust. Bottecchia, for whom this is the first Tour de France, repeatedly climbed the steep edge of the so-called sidewalk to throw himself into the rails, jump on the sleepers and finally take a Homeric head.

In Lille, the suburbs, the boulevards and the Bois de la Deule, there was such a multitude that the martyrs of this enthusiasm had to take single file and slip between two oscillating crowds, with the same anguish as the Hebrews crossing the Red Sea. The control, where Francis Pélissier did not appear, being in turn broken down God knows where, greeted the arrival of the first with a truly astonishing ovation.

The race, at this time, was dragging well below the presumptions of the market table, and yet never had the runners shown themselves more valiant. The front peloton gave a start and when they had gorged themselves on lemonade—those poor panicked Adam's apples, those swigs that overflow from their mouths and make mud with the dust from their cheeks—they set off again with such heart that We thought the game was going to end smoothly.

But it was necessary to fight almost to Armentières, the cars crowded with amateurs completely blocking the road, encroaching on the sidewalks with wide swerves.

The green mound of Cassel was nevertheless conquered in one leap by the small group led by Tiberghien in front of Henri Pélissier, mismatched brother, alas! Goethals, Alancourt and Bellenger. The congestion was only to begin again on the outskirts of Dunkirk in noise and flags. The mayor, Mr. Terquem, is fortunately an experienced sportsman, he had ensured that order was maintained at all costs. And it was without a hitch that three runners finally tumbled along the quay, which was barred in the distance by the white ribbon of the finish.

Henri Pélissier was not one of them: he was changing lanes three kilometers behind. It was an orange jersey that crossed the line first. He had been recognized from afar and greeted with an immense cry of joy. It could only be Goethals, to whom Dunkirk belongs as Strasbourg belongs to Muller.

The Italian Pratesi had however sworn that he would blow this triumph to him and the brave man had indeed surpassed himself. But there is a fatality and tires that burst... -Pratesi, getting off his machine, Pratesi with huge calves, a snub nose and sunken cheeks, bit with rage in the burst hose that hung around his neck.

Stage classification:

1-Gœthals ; 2-Tiberghien ; 3-Beeckmann 18h 55’ 08" ; 4-Alancçourt 18h 56’ 26” ; 5-Henri Pélissier ; 6-Pratesi 18h 58’ 04” ; 7-Bottecchia ; 8-Bellenger 18h 59’ 36” : 9-Despontin 19h 01’ 34” ; 10-Cuvelier 19h 08’ 14” ; 11-Rich 19h 10’58” ; 12-Huot 19h 13’ 31” ; 13-Touzard 19h 13’ 33" ; 14-Mortier 19h 20’ 36" ; 15-L. Buysse ; 16-Muller 19h; 22’15"; 17-Dhers 19h 22’ 28" ; 18-Normand ; 19-Collé 19h 23’ 13" ; 20 Degv 19h 26’ 39” ; 21-Mottiat ; 22-Parel 19 h 31’ 13" ; 23-Standaert 19h 33’ 38" ; 24-Hudeyn ; 25-Arnoult 19h 43’ 01” ; 26-Botte ; 27-Roy 20h 10’ 03° ; 28-Longoni 20h 12’ 55” ; 29-Rière 20h 13’ 5” ; 30-Rossignoli 20h 44’ 38”

Francis Pélissier, qui s'était reposé en cours de route, est arrivé 40ème en 21h 39’ 30”.

The general classification: