Cycle-racing track of Winter

The cycle-racing track of Winter of Paris was set up in 1909 and was destroyed in 1959. It was called familiarly the Vél' of Hiv' .

At the beginning of the 20th century, the competition cyclist becomes a spectacle of mass snuffed by the working population of the cities. The construction of the Vélodrome S takes part in this vogue. As of 1902, Henri Desgrange request with the architect Gaston Lambert to arrange the Gallery of the Machines, vestige of the World Fair of 1889 located in the District of Grenelle, to create a track of competition cyclist there. Inaugurated the December 20th 1903, the cycle-racing track is quickly a great popular success. But in 1909, the city announces the destruction of the Gallery of the Machines in order to release the prospect towards the Champ de Mars. Desgrange then decides to build very at side, with the angle of the Boulevard of Grenelle and the street Nélaton, a new temple of the bicycle. In new the Vel' d' Hiv' which is born then, 17  000 spectators, on steps of bricks and Concrete, can observe the runners which traverse a track of 250 meters length fir tree around a vast central lawn. The room is lit by an immense canopy Zénithale and more than thousand bulbs.

Many demonstrations animated this equipment. The famous cycle race of the Six days of Paris , created in 1913 the equivalent American race following the example of, knew its hour of glory in the Entre-deux-guerres, and quickly became the top of the season cyclist. In 1926 began the election of the Reine the 6 day old, charged to give the departure of the race; the Queens were selected in the medium of the popular artists to the mode: Edith Piaf, Annie Cordy, Yvette Horner were thus Reines 6 day old. Animation was spread then day like night until in the streets of the district.

The Après-guerre saw there the organization of tournaments of Boxe with Marcel Cerdan or Sugar Ray Robinson for example, of equestrian tests, and even of fashion shows.

Starting from the 16 and July 17th 1942, it is there that were held several days under very precarious conditions the thousands of Jewish victims of the raid of Vél d' Hiv.

The Cycle-racing track was destroyed in 1959.

Sources

  • archi.fr
  • Photographs of the Gallery of the Machines of the Exposure of 1889

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