{"id":15380,"date":"2023-06-21T10:54:38","date_gmt":"2023-06-21T02:54:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atomic-temporary-41528274.wpcomstaging.com\/?p=15380"},"modified":"2023-11-22T01:04:04","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T01:04:04","slug":"charly-gaul-the-angel-who-fell-to-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2023\/06\/21\/charly-gaul-the-angel-who-fell-to-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"CHARLY GAUL \/ THE ANGEL WHO FELL TO EARTH"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>AS THE TOUR is almost upon us I thought I&#8217;d revisit some old articles that some of my newer readers may enjoy. I always had a soft spot for Charly Gaul after reading of his feats, so I was fascinated to learn what happened to him after his retirement. The story is a good un&#8217;! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Originally I<\/em> <em>was asked to write a feature about an upcoming Tour de France (2020) for a magazine here in Asia, instead pitched them an idea about a story called \u2018The Unknown Tour de France.\u2019 The idea was to introduce readers to some of the characters from Tours gone by who are in large part forgotten, or unknown to many younger fans.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"10681\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/screenshot-2021-08-06-at-09-27-04\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/5fd4f-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-09.27.04.png?fit=486%2C681&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"486,681\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot-2021-08-06-at-09.27.04\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/5fd4f-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-09.27.04.png?fit=486%2C681&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/ce038-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-09.27.04.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10681\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A young Charly.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Huge natural talent, death threats and drug abuse<\/em>,&nbsp;<em>this \u2018angel\u2019 soared above his peers and then descended into obscurity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Charly Gaul (1932 \u2013 2005) was a cyclist from Luxembourg, active on professional teams from 1953 to 1965. Gaul did not look much like a cyclist however, with very short legs and a countenance that was often remarked upon. In basic terms, he looked by all accounts a bit of a miserable so an so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A journalist from the period once described him as having \u201ca sad, timid look on his face, marked with an unfathomable melancholy [as though] an evil deity has forced him into a cursed profession amidst powerful, implacable riders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"10690\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10-34-44\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3a044-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.34.44.png?fit=394%2C630&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"394,630\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.34.44\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/3a044-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.34.44.png?fit=394%2C630&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/e5e2c-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.34.44.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10690\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet this diminutive man with the sad face who worked in a slaughterhouse before his cycling ability brought him fame, who won 60 races as an amateur, made an immediate impression. He won a stage up the climb of Grossglockner and set a new record to boot during the Tour of Austria when he was 17, his debut outside of Luxembourg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"10688\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10-35-04\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/f38da-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.04.png?fit=819%2C391&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"819,391\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.04\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/f38da-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.04.png?fit=819%2C391&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/a7287-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.04.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10688\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He went on to win the 1958 Tour de France, taking ten stages between 1953-1963, and also won two Giro d\u2019Italia, in 1956 and 1959, becoming the first non-Italian to do so.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His weight of 64kg allowed him to climb ferociously, and he earned the nickname the \u2018Angel of the Mountains.\u2019 His time up the legendary Tour de France mountain, Mt. Ventoux, 1h 2m 9s, stood for an incredible 41 years until it was broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At that \u201958 Tour he was fighting against the French great, Louison Bobet, who had angered him earlier in the race. On the last day in the Alps, Gaul rode up to Bobet and told him exactly when he intended to attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019re ready,&nbsp;<em>Monsieur<\/em>&nbsp;Bobet?\u201d laying disdain thick on the title. \u201cI\u2019ll give you a chance. I\u2019ll attack on the Luitel climb. I\u2019ll even tell you which hairpin. You want to win the Tour more than I do? Easy. I\u2019ve told you what you need to know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"10684\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10-31-43\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/29741-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.31.43.png?fit=554%2C642&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"554,642\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.31.43\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/29741-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.31.43.png?fit=554%2C642&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/e3cfa-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.31.43.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10684\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gaul finishing alone at Luitel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gaul went on to win the stage ahead of Bobet by over 12 minutes, and with that, he also won the Tour and rode into cycling history.&nbsp;The seed of Gaul\u2019s dislike of Bobet had been sown the year before at the Giro, when Bobet and Gastone Nancini attacked when Gaul was taking a nature break. He lost the race as a result. Almost blind with fury, the Luxembourger found the Frenchman at the finish and delivered a chilling threat:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI will get my revenge. I will kill you. Remember I was a butcher. I know how to use a knife.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"10691\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10-35-28\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/824ec-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.28.png?fit=578%2C662&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"578,662\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.28\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/824ec-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.28.png?fit=578%2C662&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/26b9f-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.28.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10691\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">With Louison Bobet, right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Add to his temper his disdain for most of his peers and his habit of refusing to share out prize money to teammates, it\u2019s not surprising that he was generally disliked by the peloton. Another commentator, Charlie Woods, wrote that&nbsp;\u201chis eloquence and assurance seemed reserved for the bike, and the bike alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"10686\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10-30-18\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/bcfbf-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.30.18.png?fit=869%2C650&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"869,650\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.30.18\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/bcfbf-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.30.18.png?fit=869%2C650&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/a42b4-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.30.18.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10686\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The writer Jan Heine said: \u201cNobody else ever climbed that fast. Gaul dominated the climbs of the late 1950s, spinning up the hills at amazing cadences, his legs a blur while his cherubic face hardly showed the strain of his exceptional performances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pierre Chany called him \u201cwithout doubt, one of the three or four best climbers of all time.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Philippe Brunel of the French newspaper L\u2019Equipe said: \u201cIn the furnace of the 1950s, Gaul seemed to ride not against Bahamontes, Anquetil Adriessens, but against oppressive phantoms, to escape his modest origins, riding the ridges to new horizons, far from the life without surprises which would have been his had he stayed in Luxembourg.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"10687\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10-35-13\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/6a2ff-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.13.png?fit=808%2C670&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"808,670\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.13\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/6a2ff-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.13.png?fit=808%2C670&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/3a316-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.13.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10687\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The \u2018unfathomable melancholy\u2019, the \u2018oppressive phantoms\u2019 noted by these writers, they were observations not without some basis in reality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Gaul retired his marriage broke down and it scarred him deeply. He basically became a hermit, moving into a small hut in a forest deep in the Luxembourg Ardennes. There, he wore the same clothes every day and went walking with his dog, Pocki. He removed his name from the phone book. He went to the nearest town infrequently and shopkeepers who met him spoke of a man who was ill and depressed. When journalists found him to ask more he confirmed he was distressed but declined, saying: \u201cI\u2019m sorry but it was all so long ago. Please leave me in peace. I\u2019m just an old grumbler.\u201d He appeared now and then anonymously beside the road during the Tour de France, unrecognisable with a beard, straggling hair and a paunch.&nbsp;Those who did speak with him said his memory was shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One possible contributing factor to Gaul\u2019s rambling state may have been his fondness for amphetamines when he was a racer. He would pop so many that he was often seen to be frothing at the mouth during stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"10696\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10-34-35\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/5e224-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.34.35.png?fit=802%2C553&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"802,553\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.34.35\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/5e224-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.34.35.png?fit=802%2C553&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/59785-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.34.35.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10696\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jacques Goddet director of the Tour from 1936 to 1986, spoke of Gaul dribbling during his record ride up Mont Ventoux: \u201cYes, it was without doubt the first time that I saw the soft and thin face of the Luxembourger, who never shows signs of suffering, running with the sweat of pain, the dribble of effort flooding his shaven chin and sticking to his chest in long dirty ropes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His rival, the great Spanish climber Enrico Bahamontes, said that the heat suited Gaul best \u201cbecause the others couldn\u2019t take as much amphetamine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marcel Ernzer, Gaul\u2019s domestique, famously recalled a conversation with Gaul:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Charly\u2019s going to die<\/em>&nbsp;said Gaul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Why do you say that?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Because Charly takes too many pills.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>But everybody takes them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Yes, but Charly a lot more than the others.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jacquest Anquetil, a contemporary of Gaul, continued his amphetamine abuse after he retired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One wonders whether Gaul did the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"10693\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10-35-43\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/7a216-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.43.png?fit=812%2C654&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"812,654\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.43\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/7a216-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.43.png?fit=812%2C654&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/3670e-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.43.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10693\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gaul with the infamous Jacques Anqurtil<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there is a happy ending. In 1983 he married again and began to appear on television for interviews when the Tour de France was on. He was invited back to the Tour on several occasions and would answer questions called out to him by the crowd, and whilst the fans still loved him, it was obvious to all that there was something still amiss with the old Luxembourger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To cycling fans however, he will forever be known as The Angel of the Mountains&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"10695\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10-35-59\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/453c9-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.59.png?fit=804%2C672&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"804,672\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.59\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/453c9-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.59.png?fit=804%2C672&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/3c977-screenshot-2021-08-06-at-10.35.59.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10695\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Gaul, left, became friends with Marco Pantani.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>He was The Angel of the Mountains, high on amphetamines and driven by a darkness that eventually consumed him. 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The Insanity of Life on Two Wheels","author":"Lee Rodgers","date":"4\u6708 11, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Insanity Defined by Merriam-Webster\u2019s dictionary as: 1: a deranged state of the mind usually occurring as a specific disorder (as schizophrenia) 2: such unsoundness of mind or lack of understanding as prevents one from having the mental capacity required by law to enter into a particular relationship, status, or transaction\u2026","rel":"","context":"history of cycling","block_context":{"text":"history of cycling","link":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/category\/history-of-cycling\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/crankpunk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/gaul27.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10751,"url":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2021\/08\/09\/tom-simpson-tragedy-on-ventoux\/","url_meta":{"origin":15380,"position":3},"title":"Tom Simpson: Tragedy on Ventoux","author":"Lee Rodgers","date":"8\u6708 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"His ride through the ranks to the top of the sport was meteoric. 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Check. Cocaine in the downtubes? Check!!! 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