Long Reads

Discover the man behind the mask. Explore the style, elegance, and racing legacy of Jacques Anquetil, featuring insights from designer Sir Paul Smith.

A rainy day in Spain 60 years ago, a hilly circuit in San Sebastian, hours of struggle reduced to two men and one kilometre of rain-soaked road to find a world champion.

Chris has a look at what pro riders of yesteryear did in the off-season and finds that, except the very best, they worked; and we mean they worked at other jobs.

Jacques Anquetil could turn a hopeless situation into a miraculous win. His unprecedented runs of victories in big races was proof of that. None of his exploits, however, compared to what he achieved in 1965.

In the 1950s a bird-like climber fluttered up mountains as if on wings. They called him the ‘Angel of the Mountains’ and he won the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia. His name is Charly Gaul.