1923: The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession

Product Information

It was a joy to read, dipping in and out as Ned pursued his determination to learn more about his obscure protagonist.

A quite fascinating account of the laborious investigation of the detail surrounding an obscure forgotten cyclist deserving of his place from obscurity to at least some recognition of his accomplishments. The other photograph, that one actually was taken in the Parc des Princes, where the Petit Tour de France was being held, a post-Tour track-meet Desgrange organised annually and which forms an early step on the road to today’s post-Tour critérium circuit. When he is finally able to talk to Beeckman’s granddaughter and outline what he’s found out, he touches on his motivations: “To be the gatekeeper to so much information was both a responsibility and an honour. It is interesting, but it takes a lot of attention away from the main topic – the race and the stage 4 winner, Theofile Beekman.Take these two pictures: Théo Beeckman, who tipped the scales at about 65 kilos for each of the Tours between 1922 and 1926. Witty, discursive, and tons of fun, Ned Boulting has the Tour de France under his skin, and you will too by the time you've read this ― Al Murray. It’s that, just because Boulting doesn’t understand it, the explanation is “lost to time, unreported and now unknowable. Boulting spends a good part of the time trying to track down information of the man who leads the race at that time of the film. A unique, satisfying book that’ll appeal not just to cycling fans, but to all who enjoy a varied and lovingly pieced together story of a moment in time, and all that has been touched by it.

In the autumn of 2020, Ned Boulting (ITV head cycling commentator and Tour de France obsessive) bought a length of Pathé news film from a London auction house.

There are so many little facts and situations that I would never have known about and yet now I want to explore more.