MISE-EN-SCENE
Toile de Jouy paints a picture. A selection of scenes chosen for their significance, for their symbolism, for posterity. The Café du Cycliste take on toile is no different. Here is its raison d'être.
Maître Jacques & Pou Pou
French cycling royalty going shoulder-to-shoulder. An iconic narrative of two careers that went tête-à-tête over many years, packed into one image. The perfect mise-en-scene of Monsieur Chrono and the Eternal Second.
The Muur
Pavé to the top, the famous flandrien climb where legends and fans meet. Sometimes a decisive climb, other times just part of the one-day whittling down process. A Classics scene.
Le Boulanger
Alias : Louison Bobet. Born to a baker, raised in Brittany, Bobet was just like the nick-name suggested – hard-working and serving the people. Racing didn’t come easy at first but morning after morning he rose to ‘faire le métier’ and success followed. Casual style off the bike was second to none (well, maybe Maître Jacques).
El Diablo
Alias : Didi Senft. Feet off the ground, trident in hand, the peloton as an accessory. Didi channels the energy and enthusiasm of an entire mountain side when it’s time to shine each July. As we all know the cycling (and general) world is a better place for those with the correct amount of crazy.
Le Grand Mont Ventoux
The king of the non-mountains of the middle of Provence. It’s a beacon, a unique beast that just keeps on giving, both when you ride it and when the Tour races it. Views of the peak provoke emotion, whether it’s in reality or on a screen. The Giant is an evergreen icon of our country, our region and our world.
Le Biquet
Alias : Jean Robic. Literally a mountain goat. Built for climbing, born in the Ardennes by mistake. He had to put lead in his bidons to try and keep the pace on descents and broke his skull at Paris-Roubaix. Thereafter the permanent leather helmet gained him the name ‘tête de cuir’ – leather head. Robic gave his only yellow jersey to the Sainte-Anne-d'Auray basilica – a goat that gives.
Le Blaireau
Alias : Bernard Hinault. The French godfather of cycling. The last native to win the Grand Boucle. If cycle racing is about out-witting your opponent and backing them into a corner, it’s a good strength to be able to fight your way out of that corner again and again. All hail Le Patron.
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