The 1936 Tour was noteworthy not only for its physicial background (show
n in Aldo's incredible image), but for its political background. T
he winner, shown here, was the Belgian Maes. But due to the Italia
n invasion of Ethiopia, France had broken political relations with Ita
ly, and, in retaliation, Mussolini had prevented Italian participa
tion in the Tour.
The Spanish, among them Julio Barrendero (also in the photo) and Ezqu
erra, were strong in the mountains and Barrendero became the King of t
he Mountains, finishing in 11th place overall. The Spanish joy was b
e short-lived, however, since the Spanish Civil War started on 18 J
uly, 1936, plunging Spain into decades of trouble.
George
George Hollenberg MD
CT, USA
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2009 4:16 pm
Subject: [CR] Pic of the Day - La Casse Déserte
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Pic of the Day
> 31 January, 2009
>
> La Casse Déserte
>
> Stage 9, from Briançon to Digne, 1936 Tour de France. On the
> descent
> from the Izoard, Antonin Magne (right - France) chases in
> pursuit of
> Sylvère Maes (Belgium). Another chaser, Julien Berrendero
> (Spain),
> can be seen in the background over Magne's left shoulder.
>
> With it's towering rock spires, large scree field, and 20 degr
ee
> structural incline, the Casse Déserte ("Broken Desert") is u
sed
> as an
> analog in the study gully formation on Mars.
>
> >From "Le Miroir des Sports" No.397, 21 July 1936.
>
> (click pic for MUCH larger image)
>
> http://www.wooljersey.com/
>
>
>
> The view remains little changed today, although a major scree
> flow in
> 1980 covered the road and resculpted the slope to the lower left.
>
> http://www.alpesgeo2003.fr/
>
> Aldo Ross
> Middletown, Ohio, USA
> "studying the formation of gullies in the massive snow drift
> outside
>
> _______________________
________________________
>
George Hollenberg MD
CT, USA