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Great Cyclists of the Tour de France: Gustave Garrigou

Gustave Garrigou was one of the first great riders in the Tour de France. In his short but accomplished career, he was able to win the Tour de France once, and finish on the podium a total of six times. Although Garrigou’s career ended over 90 years ago, he remains one of the beloved French cyclists in the legendary history of the Tour de France.

Gustave Garrigou was born on September 24, 1884, and lived until 1963, when he passed away at the age of 78. He made his debut in the Tour de France at age 22, the same year he won at Giro di Lombardia and Paris-Brussels. His first Tour de France went similarly well, although he wasn’t able to win. Garrigou was able to win stages 10 and 12, but wasn’t able to gain much on the leader, Lucien Petit-Breton, as he finished right behind Garrigou. The race itself was a wild one, memorable because ?mile Georget was close to winning before being penalized because he borrowed a bicycle.

The next year, Garrigou entered the 1908 Tour de France with high hopes, only to perform worse than in the previous years. Garrigou won no stages of the Tour de France that year, and ended up finishing a disappointing fourth, while Lucien Petit-Breton won again.

The 1909 Tour de France brought more disappointment for Garrigou as well as French cycling fans, as it was the first year that a French cyclist didn’t win the race. Garrigou finished second again (although he won a stage), and was the top French finisher of the race, with Lucien Petit-Breton not competing. Garrigou also won a stage the next year at the 1910 Tour de France, but still failed to win, finishing third to earn another podium finish.

In 1911, it was finally Garrigou’s turn to shine, though not solely because of his own performance. Garrigou’s greatest asset in this Tour de France was his determination and grit, as this was the most grueling edition yet. Some of the stages required even the fastest of the field to race nearly 18 hours to complete, and only a third of the field ended up completing the race. Among those to quit were previous winners Lucien Petit-Breton, Fran?ois Faber and Octave Lapize. Another cyclist, Paul Duboc, was in a good position to win and had been victorious in four stages, but fell ill. All of these circumstances conspired to help Garrigou win his first and only Tour de France. He won two stages in the process.

The next year, Garrigou’s team, Alcyon hired a new rider to assist Garrigou in repeating his win from the previous year. Unfortunately for Garrigou, the teammate (Odiel Defraye) clearly established himself as the more capable rider early on, and he ended up winning himself. At this point, it just seemed to be Garrigou’s luck, as he was almost always the bridesmaid, but nearly never the bride.

Garrigou gave one more good effort to win his second Tour de France in 1913, but finished 8 minutes, 37 seconds behind Philippe Thys, despite winning a stage. Garrigou’s last appearance, in 1914, resulted in a fifth place finish three hours behind the winner (Philippe Thys, again), although he again one a stage.

Garrigou would then retire, although he would be remembered by followers of the sport for years to come. He was the Charlie Brown of cycling for a time, always blending into the background, with only periodic success. Still, his win in 1911, along with his other solid finishes and podium appearances, allow him to be mentioned in an elite category among professional cyclists past and present.

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Suitable Styles and Advices for Tai Chi Lovers

There is a common misconception for the new generation to think that Tai Chi is just for the elderly. It is popular for the older people because Tai Chi can contribute so much to their health. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t need to experience the rejuvenating power of Tai Chi. In fact, there are several forms of Tai Chi that can be practiced by people of all ages.

If they wanted something subtle and can also be used as a form of self-defense, you can try to practice the Sun style. It was derived from different kung fu techniques. You can choose from the different kinds of styles, anything that suits you.

Classes that form Tai Chi raises up to 15-20 people only. This is so they wouldn’t crowd in one place because Tai Chi is an art that needs sufficient space; wide enough to fit everyone in and not hit each other while doing the activity. The most common population included therein are those belonging to the early 20s until the late 80s. These are the people who see the benefits in performing Tai Chi.

According to physical therapists and those that are joined in the medical field, there are five distinct forms of Tai Chi and within these styles there are different variations. It is said that Tai Chi is suitable for those who are experiencing arthritis. Therapists are using the Sun style Tai Chi for lessening the effects of arthritis. If you are the kind that has arthritis, never try the Chen style because it is a bit brisk and is an active style that is not very much recommended.

If you have enrolled in a Tai Chi class that introduces several styles, that would be fine. Always remember that the right kind of Tai Chi is the one that you can easily perform without the fear of suffering pain or going through the excruciating movements that you can’t do. You have to do motions that don’t need any force.

Before enrolling in a Tai Chi session, make sure that you have spare time because it lasts for an hour and is held at least once or thrice a week. First, the instructors will start out on the easy task like a subtle warm up and deep breathing exercises. They may also suggest a brief meditation to calm the mind.

The instructor will demonstrate poses leading to sequences until it is linked in longer and smoother sequences that are all done in a step-by-step manner. You can either be taught to perform slowly or in a more energetic and speedy way. But you have to take note that the movements are always done in a very soft and graceful manner. The attention to posture and breathing is always emphasized.

As the way classes begin, it’s the way classes end. Sometimes, you do exercises to cool you down or even a short meditation is done. And when the class is adjourned, you will feel more refreshed and relaxed than before. If ever you felt pain on parts of your muscles and joints, tell your instructor about it. So as to change the movements that can be applied for your limits.

Now before you apply to the program, ask your doctor’s opinion about it especially if you have encountered any health problems in the past. You can ask certain advise if what are the movements to prevent.