The pennants, scarves, plates & certficates - 14
ITEM N°522
MAGNE Antonin (F)
(15.02.1904 – 08.09.1983)
Poster announcing the tribute organised in Grenay following his victory in the 1931 Tour de France
Born on 15 February 1904 in Ytrac, in the Cantal department, Antonin Magne was one of the greatest French champions of the interwar period. A methodical, resilient rider and an excellent tactician, he was nicknamed ‘Tonin the Wise’.
On 26 July 1931, he won his first Tour de France ahead of the Belgian Joseph Demuysere and the Italian Antonio Pesenti.
The item presented here is a large poster printed on fabric. It invited the people of Grenay, in the Pas-de-Calais, to come and cheer on Antonin Magne on Tuesday 1 September 1931, from 3 pm to 8 pm, a few weeks after his triumph in the Tour de France. The text, set in large blue letters, proclaims: ‘Everyone to Grenay to cheer on Antonin Magne, winner of the 1931 Tour de France’. The two pointing hands immediately draw the eye to the champion’s name. This poster bears witness to the immense popularity of Tour winners at that time. After the finish in Paris, the champions took part in numerous celebrations, track meetings, criteriums and public receptions organised in towns and cities across France. Printed on lightweight canvas so that it could be hung up or displayed outdoors, this document is both a form of popular advertising and a record of sporting history. Its state of preservation is particularly remarkable given its originally ephemeral nature.
Antonin Magne won the Tour de France for a second time in 1934. He went on to become professional road world champion in 1936 and won the prestigious Grand Prix des Nations on three occasions. After his racing career, he became a respected team manager.
The photograph on the right was taken in 2009 during a visit to the Magne family. It serves as a reminder that the objects and documents featured in this collection are also linked to personal encounters, family accounts and the passing on of human memory.
This fabric poster is a rare record of the public celebrations organised in honour of Antonin Magne following his first victory in the Tour de France.
ITEM N° 548
MICHAUD Jacques (F)
(11.07.1951)
His pennant from the 1979 Tour de France Style Award
Born on 11 July 1951 in Haute-Savoie, Jacques Michaud was a professional cyclist from 1979 to 1984. A solid all-rounder and valued team-mate, he competed in five consecutive Tours de France, from 1979 to 1983.
In his first professional season, riding for the Flandria–Ça va seul–Sunair team, he won the general classification of the Étoile de Bessèges and finished second in Paris–Nice. Jacques Michaud also made his Tour de France debut in 1979. He finished that 66th edition in 40th place overall in Paris, at the end of a race won by Bernard Hinault.
The pennant shown here was awarded to him as the ‘Prix de l’élégance’. This supplementary and promotional award was separate from the Tour’s official sporting classifications. It presumably recognised a rider’s attire, appearance or demeanour within the Tour’s caravan.
Made from white satin fabric and edged with gold braid, the pennant bears the inscriptions ‘Prix de l’élégance’, ‘Polichinelle’ and ‘Tour de France 1979’. Its meticulous presentation reflects the ceremonial and promotional nature of this award.
Jacques Michaud enjoyed his greatest success in the Tour de France in 1983. He won the 18th stage between Bourg-d’Oisans and Morzine in a solo breakaway, as well as the team time trial with the Coop–Mercier team. After his racing career, he became a sports director, working notably with the RMO, Phonak and BMC teams.
The handwritten letter reproduced on the display, dated in Grenoble in 2021, accompanies several personal mementoes given by Jacques Michaud to Noël Grégoire. It establishes the direct provenance of this pennant and reinforces its documentary value.
This pennant bears witness to the many ceremonial and promotional awards that were a daily feature of the Tour de France, alongside the distinctive jerseys and stage victories.
ITEM N° 547
MICHAUD Jacques (F)
(11.07.1951)
His leader’s flag in the team time trial classification 1983 Tour de France
Jacques Michaud was a professional cyclist from 1979 to 1984. A solid all-rounder, a good climber and a reliable team-mate, he took part in five consecutive editions of the Tour de France.
In 1983, Jacques Michaud competed in the Tour de France for the Coop–Mercier–Mavic team, managed by Jean-Pierre Danguillaume. The team’s line-up included Joop Zoetemelk, Kim Andersen, Pierre Bazzo, Pierre Le Bigaut, Raymond Martin and Jean-Louis Gauthier. On 3 July 1983, Coop–Mercier–Mavic won the 100-kilometre team time trial between Soissons and Fontaine-au-Pire in 2 hours 18 minutes 59 seconds. This team performance enabled the team to take the lead in the team time classification.
The pennant shown here distinguished the team occupying first place in this classification. It was therefore not an individual award, but a ceremonial item presented to the members of the team then leading the team competition. Made of yellow satin, the pennant is triangular in shape, with a matching border. It bears the inscriptions ‘Team time classification’, ‘Crédit Lyonnais’ and ‘Tour de France 1983’, accompanied by the Tour’s distinctive mascot. Crédit Lyonnais, a long-standing partner of the Tour de France, had its name associated with this distinction at the time. The pennant’s yellow colour naturally echoes that of the jersey awarded to the leader of the individual general classification.
Jacques Michaud’s career reached its peak a few days later, on 20 July 1983. During the 18th stage between Bourg-d’Oisans and Morzine, he broke away on the Alpine roads and claimed the finest victory of his career in a solo effort. He went on to finish that Tour in 19th place in the general classification.
The large photograph on the right captures his victorious arrival in Morzine, arms raised whilst wearing the Coop–Mercier team jersey.
This pennant thus commemorates Jacques Michaud’s dual achievements in the 1983 Tour de France: his contribution to Coop–Mercier’s team victory in the team time trial and his personal triumph in the major Alpine stage to Morzine.
