No, it's not a cyclocross thing. I didn't catch it before. The other pics show the crank on the right side, but this was a back cover shot, and perhaps looked better wrong-way-round.
Here's the corrected picture:
http://www.birfield.com/
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Championships
> Is there a reason for the left -hand drive side crank? Is this a
> cyclo-cross thing?
>
> Roman Stankus
> Atlanta, Ga.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Aldo Ross" <aldoross4@siscom.net>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Thursday, August 05, 2004 9:41 PM
> Subject: [CR]Pic of the Day 6th August - 1936 French Cyclocross
> Championships
>
>
> Pic of the Day
> 6th August
> 1936 French Cyclocross Championships
>
> Race-leader Guihaire scales the rocks of Saint-Germaine during the 1936
> French National Cyclocross Championships. He would be overtaken in the
final
> sprint by Paul Chocque. Note the normal caliper brakes, extra tape
padding
> the handlebar "drops", lack of derailleurs, wingnuts on the rear axle, but
> perhaps a qr lever on the front (photo not clear enough to be certain).
> From "Match l'Intran" No.506, 24 March 1936.
>
> http://www.birfield.com/
>
> Aldo Ross
> Blue Ball, Ohio