I read an article in an English cycling magazine years ago, so don't ask me to remember the mountain. Charly Gaul had broken away from all the major contenders, Louison Bobet for one, he reached the summit of the climb, around 15 minutes ahead of every one, in horrible conditions, icy rain and cold wind. He got off his bike and went into a bar to get a hot drink and warm up.
Some reporters followed him into the bar asking the normal questions, but one reporter asked him why Bobet and the others were riding alloy cranks and handle bars and why he was riding steel cranks and bars. Charly's reply "thats the bike they pay me to ride"
Jim McCoin
Fremont Ca.