Original Kodak. Original Rapha.

This evocative image is from the 1963 Tour de France, the riders are from the team Saint Raphael-Geminiani-Dunlop.

In the 1963 edition of the Tour the great French rider Jacques Anquetil claimed his 4th overall win (he would win again in 1964). He rode for Saint Raphael-Geminiani-Dunlop, who also won the Team Classification in the 1963 Tour. 

Saint Raphael, a quinine-based, herbal aperitif, was shortened to Rapha as commercial company names, unrelated to the cycling industry, were not allowed to be displayed on jerseys.

The Rapha name, team and era inspired Simon Mottram and Luke Scheybeler, who created the British cycling apparel company, Rapha.

The image was sourced from the treasure trove of classic cycling photography that is Il Dolore.

The fastest train in the world

The Shanghai Maglev Train reaches speeds in excess of 400 km/h and currently holds the world speed record for a commercial service. The high-speed magnetic levitation train runs on a dedicated 30 km line that links the Shanghai Pudong International Airport to the outskirts of Pudong in China.

At the Tour de San Luis in Argentina, Mark Cavendish, riding with his new Omega Pharma-QuickStep team train sprinted to an emphatic Stage One victory. It was his maiden voyage with the team.

(photo credit: Eurosport)

Andre Greipel with his well-oiled Lotto-Belisol team train did the same at the Tour Down Under in Australia. Greipel was brutal. The stage victory was Greipel’s 12th at the Tour equalling Robbie McEwen’s record.

(photo credit: AAP)

I’m not much of a trainspotter but I can’t wait to see who has the fastest train this season.