Hopkins set out to race in '32 Tour, but didn't
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By Eric Page | Sunday, October 01, 2006 |
As big a player as Victor Hopkins was in American cycling in the 1920s and ’30s, he came close to being one of the most prominent names in American cycling history.
A 1932 New York newspaper article reported Hopkins, who grew up in Davenport and raced in the 1924 Paris Olympics, planned to travel to Europe and ride in “the most grueling race in the world,” the Tour de France.
Hopkins son, Harry, confirmed Hopkins traveled to France in ’32, and a French racing license was issued to Hopkins that year.
But there is no record of Hopkins riding any stage of the Tour. If he had, he would have been the first American to enter the race by almost 50 years. Jonathan Boyer became the first American to enter the Tour in 1981.
“It would have made his name more prominent,” Harry Hopkins said. “Here an American in the 1930s went over and made that effort.”
The Tour in 1932 was not what it is today. The top racers in the world were not competing on roads but on tracks in either six-day or motorpace races. Hopkins won the U.S. national motorpace championship in 1926 and spent the better part of 1932 and ’33 racing tracks across Europe.
It is possible Hopkins, who will be inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame on Saturday, joined a Tour team as a replacement, and his name never made the official race roster. It’s more likely he opted for the high-stakes track racing instead of suffering through the month-long, 3,340-mile Tour.
“He seemed like the kind of guy to do what he said he was going to do,” Harry Hopkins said, “but all through his scrapbooks, I was able to confirm everything he said he did, but never that. I’m sure he went over with the intention to ride in the race, and maybe things just didn’t work out. There is circumstantial stuff there, and his name could have been lost in the shuffle, but unless you have documented proof, you can’t confirm anything.”
With Hopkins eight years removed from his road-racing days — he won the U.S. Olympic trials in 1924 — Harry doubts his father would have stood much of a chance in the Tour, which favored slimmer racers, as opposed to track racers, who generally had a bulkier build.
“If he did get in, I don’t think he would have lasted very long,” Harry Hopkins said. “It just would have been too tough.”
Eric Page can be contacted at (563) 383-2277 or epage@qctimes.com.
A HALL OF FAME CYCLING CAREER
Davenport native Victor Hopkins, who raced in the 1924 Paris Olympics, will be inducted into the National Bicycling Hall of Fame on Saturday. Here is a timeline of Hopkins’ 13-year cycling career:
1921 — While delivering newspapers on his bicycle, Hopkins was asked to join the Davenport Bicycle Club by Worthington Longfellow Mitten. Set national amateur 5-mile record of 11 minutes, 22 seconds in first year of racing.
1922-23 — Dominated amateur rode races throughout the Midwest.
1924 — Placed second at Midwest Olympic Qualifier from Milwaukee to Chicago, won Olympic Trials in Paterson, N.J., and finished fifth at the pre-Olympic San Quentin Criterium in France. Was in third place at the Paris Olympics before he crashed on railroad tracks and finished 59th. Turned professional upon return to U.S. and raced first six-day race at Chicago Stadium.
1925 — Began racing on minor-league motorpace circuit.
1926 — Joined championship motorpace circuit 10 races into 36-race season and won season points championship. First motorpace rider to win championship in first season.
1927 — Missed motorpace season with broken collarbone.
1928 — Accepted a contract to ride motorpace races in France.
1929-31 — Returned to U.S. and rode on championship motorpace circuit.
1932-33 — Traveled to France with the intention of riding in the Tour de France but didn’t enter the race. Competed in motorpace races all over Europe.
1934 — Rode in six-day races in winter season before retiring from cycling in the spring.
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