Raphael Geminiani

Raphael Geminiani was born in France on July 12, 1925.

His parents were Italian immigrants who had moved to France in 1920 to escape Fascism.

Although he never won a Grand Tour, he stood on the podium of all three Grand Tour events, a total of six times.

He was second to Hugo Koblet in the 1951 Tour de France, and also won the King of the Mountains title that year.

Geminiani was also 3rd in the 1958 Tour de France behind Charly Gaul of Luxembourg and Vito Favero of Italy.

He won the Mountains Jersey in the Giro d’Italia in 1952 and 1957.

In addition, Geminiani was 3rd in the 1955 Vuelta a Espana behind Jean Dotto of France and Antonio Jimenez of Spain.

He raced in an era of other great riders such as Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali, Louison Bobet, and Jean Robic.

Above: At the finish of the 1951 Tour de France in Paris. Raphael Geminiani (Left.) 2nd. Place, and King of the Mountains. With the winner Swiss rider Hugo Koblet (Right.)

Raphael Geminiani grew up with a cycling background, his father owned a bike shop, and coached the young Raphael when he started racing in 1943. This was during the German occupation of France in WWII, when cycle races were still held.

Geminiani began his cycle racing career as an amateur at the same time as the other great French rider Louison Bobet. The two were sometimes on the same team, but more often than not were great rivals. Pictured together above with Bobet on the left.  

(Above.) Raphael Geminiani narrowly outsprints Italian Gino Bartali to win the 21st stage of the 1952 Tour de France. Alltogether he won seven stages of the TDF between 1949 and 1955 and wore the yellow leader's jersey for four days.

When Geminiani retired as a professional cyclist in 1960 he became a successful directeur sportif, notably of Jacques Anquetil and the St-Raphaël team. Anquetil was the first to win the Tour de France five times.

Raphael Geminiani also co-sponsored the St. Raphael Team, and marketed a line of Geminiani brand of bicycles that were built by the French Mercier bicycle manufacturer.

Above: Raphael Geminiani with Jacques Anquetil on the right.

In 1953 Geminiani rode for Fausto Coppi on his Bianchi Team, the two were lifelong friends. In late 1959 Raphael was part of a group that went on a hunting trip to Africa.

He shared a room with Fausto Coppi and the two contracted malaria. Geminiani returned to France and although seriously ill, he was correctly diagnosed, treated, and made a full recovery.

Fausto Coppi however, was miss-diagnosed by his Italian doctors and as a result died. He was only forty years old.

Raphael Geminiani was a hero of my teen years when I started racing in the 1950s. He turned 93 this year is one of the few living connections to the legends of that great era of cycling. He once stated, “There is not a day goes by that I do not think of Fausto Coppi.”

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Ferdi Kubler 1919 – 2016

In the final days of 2016 Ferdi Kubler, one the last of my boyhood cycling heroes died at the age of 97.

Up until yesterday the 29th. December 2016, Ferdinand "Ferdi" Kubler was the oldest living Tour de France winner, having won in 1950. He was World Road Champion in 1951.

He raced against Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali, and Louison Bobet, and on any given day was equal to or could even beat these riders. He was a climber who could also win in a sprint.

1950, the year Kubler won the tour, was the year I got my first lightweight bike. I was 14 years old, still at school, and too young to race.That didn’t stop me from following all the big races.

The Tour de France was then as it is now, the biggest one of all. There was no live television broadcasts. Just photographs and written stories. The British “Cycling” weekly magazine was the first news source of what was going on.

Every year during the Tour, I would order the French sports papers, LeEquipe and Miroir Sprint. These would arrive two or three weeks later, but were full of large format action photos. I knew only a smattering of French, but could pick out the names.

In a very short time could recognize the individual riders without referring to the captions.

Just as today I can recognize all the top riders, and often watch TV race coverage with a foreign language commentary, or with no sound at all.

And so it was this 14 year old kid from England, followed this group of larger than life heroes. Names like Italian cyclists Fausto Coppi, Gino Bartali, and Fiorenzo Magni. French riders, Louison Bobet, Jean Robic, and Raphael Geminiani. Belgian’s Stan Ockers and Rik Van Steenbergen. And then there were a Swiss pair Ferdi Kubler and Hogo Koblet

Over the years, I have written in detail about all these riders, there are links to the articles in the above names. The only one on this list still living is Raphael Geminiani. Who is at the time of writing 91 years old.  Many died young, Fausto  Coppi caught malaria and died in 1960 at age 40. Hugo Koblet died in a car crash in 1964, aged 39.

 
Above: Kubler leads Fausto Coppi

Ferdi Kubler was one of the great riders of his time. Like the others of his era, his best years were lost during WWII when he was restricted to racing in Switzerland. He was already 31 when he won the Tour.

In the Grand Tour events, Kubler won the 1950 Tour de France in front of Stan Ockers of Belgium and Louison Bobet of France. He was also 2nd in the 1954 Tour de France behind Louison Bobet of France. In addition, Kubler won the Points Jersey in the Tour de France that year as well.

He also stood on every podium step of the World Championship Road Race. He was 2nd. in 1949 and 3rd. in 1950. Won in 1951. Now that is perseverance and consistency.

Kubler won a 3rd. podium spot in the 1951 and 1952 Giro d'Italia. He won many of the important races of his day. For example the Liege-Bastogne-Liege Classic twice, in 1951 and 1952.

I salute you Ferdi Kubler, a great champion, a gentleman and my hero.

I wrote about you on your 90th. birthday.

There were times when I felt you would live forever, or at least to be 100.

You did come pretty close.

Addendum Dec 31/16

The picture below Was sent to me by ex Manchester Wheeler member Brian Booth. It shows Ferdi Kubler enjoying a game of snooker at the Manchester, Fallowfield Track Clubhouse, during a visit to the UK in the early 1950s. Brian's Dad is on the right wearing glasses. On the left in the shadows holding a cue is Reg Harris, British World Sprint Champion and famous Manchester Wheelers member.

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Stan Higginson 1931 – 2014

Former British National 25 Mile TT Champion and Competition Record Holder, Stan Higginson, died on August 31^st. He would have been 83 on the 20^th of September.

On May 1^st, 2009 I wrote an article here titled “The Higginson Twins: A Pedaling Phenomenon.” Back in 1952 the year I started racing at the age of 16, the two fastest time-trialists for the 25 mile distance were Stan Higginson and his twin brother Bernard Higginson. The picture above is a recent one of the twins, Stan is on the right.

Picture left: From 1952. Stan on the left, Bernard right.

In the 1950s and before that time, British Time - Trial events were almost exclusively ridden on a single fixed wheel.

It was common back then to ride thought the winter months on a single fixed sprocket with a gear ratio around 20 x 48 or 21 x 48, a gear in the lower 60 inch range.

A popular early season event back then was a 72 inch gear restricted 25 mile TT.

Everyone was restricted to a gear ratio no bigger than 48 x 18, which leveled the playing field and those who had learned to pedal fastest during the winter prevailed.

The 25 mile competition record (Unrestricted.) in 1952 was 57 minutes something. It was still a huge achievement for anyone to beat the hour for a 25, a feat that only a few top riders could manage. Stan and Bernard Higginson made history that year when they both beat the hour in a 72 inch restricted event.

Stan’s time was 59 mins. 20 secs, which meant he was pedaling at over 118 revs per minute for 25 miles. Bernard Higginson clocked 59. 48 for 2nd place and third that morning was the previous year, 1951 25 record holder, Dave Keeler with a time of 59.58.

As a result of posting the above article, Stan contacted me and shared with me some interesting pieces of information. He and Bernard normally raced on a single fixed gear of 84.4 inches. (50 x 16) He said it suited their slight build of 5’ 9 1/2” (176.5cm.) weighing 129 lb. (58.5kg.) and their very low profile positions.

Throughout the winter they trained on 62 inch gear. (46 x 20) This no doubt gave the twins their fast pedaling abilities.

Between 1952 and 1955 they won seven British National 25 Mile Championship Medals. 3 firsts, 2 seconds, and a third. Stan Higginson broke competition record 3 times. Their team. Halesowen C&AC won 3 National Championships, and broke competition record 4 times.

Stan’s fastest 25 was 56min. 21sec. and Bernard’s fastest time was 57min. 05sec.

As a 16 year old, just starting out Stan Higginson was one of my heroes, someone I aspired to be. Even though looking back he was only a few years older than me. As we go through life others inspire us, and hopefully we inspire others.

Stan had apparently had heart problems for the last eleven years. He is survived by his brother Bernard, his wife Helen, and his two children Michael and Carol.

There will celebration of his life is taking place on Monday 15th September at 2pm at St Laurence Church in Alvechurch , Worcs B48 7SB. UK.

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Remembering Tommy Godwin

British cyclist Tommy Godwin died last Saturday just two days short of his 92^nd birthday. He was a track cyclist who won two Olympic Bronze Medals in the Team Pursuit and the 1,000 meter (The Kilo.) Time Trial.

This was in the 1948 Olympics; the first Olympics after WWII and held in London. This Olympics was run on a shoe-string budget of around 700,000 British Pounds. Some of the athletes were housed in old army camps; others were taken into people's homes.  

When the Olympics returned to London this year Tommy was an Ambassador for the Games, and also at the age of 91, carried the Olympic Torch as it passed through his home town of Solihull, a district of Birmingham.

Tommy Godwin was born in Connecticut, USA in 1920; his British parents had emigrated there a few years earlier, but were forced to return to the UK in 1932 due to the Great Depression that hit the US at that time.

The family settled in the Birmingham area where Tommy remained for the rest of his life. At that time Birmingham was the center of the bicycle manufacturing industry in England, if not the world. When Tommy left school he went to work for the BSA Company; one of the larger bicycle factories.

In 1950 Tommy Godwin opened a retail bicycle shop in Kings Heath, Birmingham. A successful business that he would run for the next 36 years. It was a visit to this bike shop that I would first meet Tommy Godwin in 1952.

I was 16 years old and racing my first season; I rode my bike 70 plus miles from my home town of Luton, (About 30 miles north of London.) to Birmingham. I rode with two more experienced riders who were in their mid 20s.

On the ride there my two companions filled me in as to who Tommy Godwin was, so when I arrived I was somewhat impressed to be in the presence of an Olympic Medalist; but I think what intrigued me most was his Birmingham, or “Brummie” accent.

I had spent my childhood in London then moved to Luton in 1949; the deference between the two regions was not that marked.  But traveling over 70 miles to the West Midlands the dialect was completely different and strange to my ear.

I remember I bought a couple of very nice tubular tires and we rode back to Luton the same day. Years later as an adult I moved to the West Midlands area myself in 1969. I settled in Worcester, just 25 miles south of Birmingham.

In the years that followed I would meet up with Tommy Godwin again several times.

He was always present at various track events and BCF meetings in the Birmingham area.

Tommy had moved on from competitive cycling, to bike business entrepreneur, to the administrative side of the sport of cycling.

He was the first paid British Cycling Coach in 1964 and managed the British Olympic Cycling Team at the Tokyo Summer Games. He was also President of the British Cycling Federation for a period. I think it is safe to say that the success of British cyclists in recent years, especially on the track, was due in part to the initial coaching started by Tommy Godwin.

Tommy was not a close friend, but was someone that was always approachable and a pleasure to meet. I admired him as a teen, and when I met him again in the 1970s. I admire his memory today for all that he has given to the sport of cycling.

Footnote: This Tommy Godwin is not to be confused with another great cyclist with the exact same name. The other Tommy Godwin was a long distance legend who lived from 1912 to 1975 and holds the world record for miles covered in one year; over 75,000 miles, which is over 200 miles a day for a year

                        

Fiorenzo Magni: 1920 – 2012

Italian cyclist Fiorenzo Magni died early last Friday morning; he would have been 92 in less than two months.

Often referred to as the “Third Man,” because he raced in the late 1940s, early 1950s with the other two Italian greats, Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali.

Sometimes on the same national team, sometime rivals, Magni was capable, and often did, beat the other two.

In a period when the sport was less globalized, he won the Tour of Flanders three consecutive years in 1949, 50, and 51. At that time the second non- Belgian to do so.

The press named him, "The Lion of Flanders." He won the Giro d’Italia three times, the last time in 1955 at the age of 35, which to this day stands as a record for the oldest person to win the Giro.

This era is sometimes called the “Golden Age of Cycling.” In the decade following the end of WWII, cycling was the main sport on the European Continent with Italy, France, Belgium and Switzerland being the main players.

Italy had been on the other side during the war, so there was little love lost between Italy and the other countries. But all these nations had suffered a terrible beating, and the exploits of these great riders once again instilled national pride.

I started racing in 1952 so Fiorenzo Magni was one of my heroes, Just as today’s teen racing cyclists would follow the likes of Phillip Gilbert, Tom Boonan, Bradley Wiggins, and Taylor Phinney.

On rare occasions I got a glimpse of my heroes in action in black and white news reel footage, but mostly I just read about them, and studied photographs.

Surely one of the most famous photos of Magni is the one at the top of this piece; he had fallen in the 1956 Giro d’Italia and broken his collar bone. He refused to quit the race, reason being, this was to be his last Giro a race he had won in 1948, 1951, and 1955.

He would rather suffer the immense pain of a broken bone, that to give up on the last opportunity he would have to finish a race that was obviously dear to his heart. The photo shows Fiorenzo with a piece of inner tube around his stem which he held in his teeth because he could no pull on the handlebars due to his broken clavicle.

The amazing end to this story is that Magni not only finished he placed second in the General Classification, beaten only by a younger Charly Gaul, incidentally one of the greatest climbers of all time. How could such courage not go unnoticed by a young cyclist like myself? Fiorenzo Magni taught me a valuable lesson in life; push on, never give up.

Later in more recent years, while researching to write about him here on this blog, he taught me another lesson. This time one of humility.

Let one’s achievements speak for themselves, while accepting life’s disappointments, and realizing that this is the way it was meant to be.

I speak of the 1950 Tour de France. Magni won the Giro three times but the TDF eluded him. Magni was wearing the yellow jersey when the Italian team pulled out en masse after Gino Bartali was threatened by French supporters on the Col d’Aspin.

In an era of national teams, and with Fausto Coppi in his prime, Magni would never again have such an opportunity. (Magni leads Coppi, picture below.)

In recent years he spoke of the 1950 Tour in an interview:

Of course I felt bad about that but I believe that there are bigger things than a technical result, even one as important as winning the Tour de France.

Team manager Alfredo Binda and the Italian Federation made the decision, on Bartali's suggestion. I stuck to the rules and accepted their decision. In my life, I have never pretended to have a role that was not mine.

When asked did he feel he could have won the Tour? His reply was:

That's another story. Hindsight is easier than foresight! I think I had a good chance of winning. But saying now that I would have won would not be very smart.

Rest in peace, Fiorenzo Magni; you will be remembered by me and many others I’m sure.