1923 - The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession

The story of an obsession. When cycling commentator Ned Boulting bought a length of Pathe news film featuring a stage of the Tour de France from 1923 he set about learning everything he could about it - taking him on an intriguing journey that encompasses travelogue, history and detective story. In the autumn of 2020 Ned Boulting (ITV head cycling commentator and Tour de France obsessive) bought a length of Pathe news film from a London auction house. All he knew was it was film from the Tour de France, a long time ago. Once restored it became clear it was a short sequence of shots from stage 4 of the 1923 Tour de France. No longer than 2.5 minutes long, it featured half a dozen sequences, including a lone rider crossing a bridge. Ned set about learning everything he could about the sequence - studying each frame, face and building - until he had squeezed the meaning from it. It sets him off in fascinating directions, encompassing travelogue, history, mystery story - to explain, to go deeper into this moment in time, captured on his little film.Join him as he explores the history of cycling and France just five years after WWI - meeting characters like Henri Pelissier, who won the Tour that year but who would within the decade be shot dead by his wife''s lover. And Theophile Beeckman - the lone rider on the bridge.>

List of contents

1. Looking
2. Falling
3. Moving
Postscript
Further Reading
Index

About the author

Ned Boulting

Product details

• Authors: Ned Boulting, Boulting Ned
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.12.2023
• EAN: 9781399401548
• ISBN: 978-1-399-40154-8
• No. of pages: 288
• Dimensions: 160 mm x 240 mm x 25 mm
• Subjects: Guides > Sport > Motorsport, motorcycle sport, bicycle sport, aviation sport; France, HISTORY / Europe / France, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, SPORTS & RECREATION / History, TRAVEL / Europe / France, Travel writing, history of sport, c 1920 to c 1929, Sporting events and management, Sporting events & management, Cycle racing, Cycling: general and touring