Coureur – The Sporting Cyclist: online archive of Rouleur forerunner

This magazine’s first edition back in 2006 took a large part its inspiration from Jock Wadley’s Coureur – The Sporting Cyclist.

Rouleur founder Guy Andrews bemoaned the lack of long-form storytelling, Continental coverage and quality imagery associated with Wadley’s fine publication, took matters into his own hands and launched what would become the acclaimed – and often imitated but never duplicated – Rouleur magazine of today. 

Now the Veteran-Cycle Club Library are busy scanning and uploading all 132 issues of the Coureur running from 1957 to 1968 onto their website.

As Adam Pride from the VCCL points out, “Coureur was expensive – 2/6 per month versus Cycling / Cycling & Mopeds at 6p per week – a little like Rouleur.” But worth every penny. 

These sample pages are from issue 5, currently the earliest edition online, but rest assured, says Pride: “The elusive first four issues have been tracked down and will be scanned and uploaded in due course.” 

Cover Stories: Rouleur issue 18.2 by Pauline Ballet

Cover star Coppi in the pink. “That interview with Coppi was the biggest scoop of my career in journalism,” writes Rene de Latour of his feature on Il Campionissimo reaching the end of his career.

The argument for big gears: “I would like to cite the example of the Master of them all, Fausto Coppi. When occasion demanded, Coppi could ‘turn on the windmill’ with more devastating effect than any rider in the game,” writes Harry Aspden. We’re not convinced…

The remarkable Marguerite Wilson, pre-WWII distance record breaker and pioneer. Turning professional in 1939, Wilson broke 11 records – including Land’s End to John O’Groats – before the outbreak of war interrupted her career. The feature’s title refers to her completion of the 1,000 mile record on September 3, 1939, the day of Neville Chamberlain’s announcement of war with Nazi Germany.

Far be it from us to criticise a man’s race wear, but what was he thinking?

For those who think sportives are something new, this 1957 “organised cycling run” in Paris suggests otherwise

One of Britain’s greats, Brian Robinson is the hunk in trunks here. “Note the fine all-round development of his body: ‘Strengthen the arms’ is his advice, ‘they are as important as the legs for mountain climbing.'” Fair play, Mr Robinson.

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