Some comments about the picture at the start...

The first participant who can be seen at the right margin of the picture is Claude Facquet (A.C.B.E.) followed by Serge Veau (wearing a dark jersey) and Maurice Macaudière. On the other side of the street, we can see Mlle Suzanne Pinaul (also in little picture at the bottom of the page) preceding Tessier (U.V.A.), André Belleville (A.C.B.E.), and André Gayral (U.A.F.). In the background, it is still possible to distinguish Roger Baumann, the tandem Martin (also in picture on right hand page) and I am the last white spot behind the tandem.

It is particularly interesting to see Facquet and Belleville, members of the same cycling club, on this picture. Like some other riders, Facquet tried to walk in the winter and enjoyed it. He finished all the brevets, the short and the longer ones (between 25 km and 150 km), and intended to participate to Strasbourg-Paris (about 500 km); Belleville should follow and help him on the bicycle. But not only is Strasbourg-Paris a hard job, the qualifying events (about 250 km or 24 hours) are also very tiring: Facquet could qualify for the main event, but was not strong enough to finish it. He tried twice, with the same deceiving result. Belleville was also very disappointed, and told him: "-Next year, you ride the bike, and I will walk!" And the best of all, he was successful...