In Praise of Folly - Talansky and His Great Refusal of the Broom Wagon

It came to prominence in 2014 Tour de France for "the extraordinary lesson in courage" provided by Andrew Talansky at the end of the stage eleven, the Besançon-Oyonnaz, but it has been Best Supporting Actress since the days of silent cinema. Here's how and why broom wagon was born in the Pyrenees almost a century ago...

by Christian Giordano

Voiture balai in French, autoscopa in Italian, coche escoba in Spanish. In English-speaking countries, it's the dear old meritorious “broom wagon”. The mini or mega van that picks up riders and their bikes who withdraw from the race, or already too deep down to hope not getting out of time. It has existed since 1910, when for the first time the Tour de France faced the mountains – and what mountains. Riders called the Pyrenees “loop the loop”. Even Grande Boucle boss Henri Desgrange was so worried by his chance to stay at home rather than be associated with the possible disaster. Fears in part justified, since only 41 out of 110 starters (37.27%) reached Paris. After World War II, the Tour’s highest rate of withdrawals has been the 1948’s one, a race accomplished by only 44 out of 120 starters (36.67%).

At first the “balai” had an old broom tied to the roof, and pointed toward the road. Broom wagon disappeared in 1992 when Tour decided to give itself a more modern image. Although it is rumored that, even today, in deference to tradition, inside there is always a broom. In the race it’s following the last rider in the bunch, but very few big names use it. They prefer their team car, because it drive them immediately to the hotel. Afterward an official motorcyclist leads to the finish line their “dossards”, so far the dorsal with the race number they wear on their back. All others riders must only touch the broom wagon, and immediately their race number will be stripped away. And their name will echoed on Radio Corsa messages even before they got off the bike.

Sometimes the anonymous balai drivers and passengers are amazed by the distinguished company themselves find on board with. Federico Martín Bahamontes climbed in 1965 still wearing his blue Margnat-Paloma tracksuite. A defining moment immortalized in “Pour un maillot jaune” (For a Yellow Jersey), a 1965 color documentary directed by Claude Lelouch; not to be confused with “Pour le maillot jaune” (For the Yellow Jersey), a 1940 black and white video-report shot by Jean-Michel Leulliot (journalist), Adolphe Dhrey (voice) and Yves Bonsergent (director).

Jean-Christophe Dauman, Tour broom wagon driver in 2002, recall it in this way: "I'm just in the tail race. Behind me there is only the van to pick up the bikes. Some riders prefer to go back by team car, others get in the broom wagon. A race commissioner takes their race numbers, bikes are loaded into the van, and then we start over again. There are riders who just want to talk, but most of them just sit there, quietly, and drink something, or eat fruit and maybe a piece of cake, to recover. Then, after twenty minutes or so they start to speak about of the race and how it was tough, about the slopes of the hills, that sort of thing. Sometimes they cry, and that's it."

Andrew Talansky, however, did not even want to know. In stage eleven, from Besancon to Oyonnaz, the 25-year-old American Garmin-Cervélo rider crashed and he wanted to withdraw because of a blow in the back, but his directeur sportif (team manager) has convinced him not to give up. "An extraordinary lesson in courage," said Christian Prudhomme, general director of the Tour de France since 2007. "Andrew Talansky has entered in the legend of the Tour. He showed an extraordinary strength of character." Talansky’s heroics reminded Prudhomme the company of the great Bernard Hinault, which in 1977 fell on the climb of La Bastille in Grenoble. “The Badger” almost abandoned the race, but he ended up winning the stage. "Talansky rode alone for 80 km with behind himself only the broom wagon, he closed 179th and last, at 32'05" late from day-winner Tony Gallopin. But within the maximum time. The very next day, he failed to start – pain was unbearable. But getting into broom wagon, no. Andrew did not do it at all.

CHRISTIAN GIORDANO