Draft:Alphonse Steines
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Alphonse Steinès | |
|---|---|
 Alphonse Steinès in 1898 | |
| Born | Johann Stenges August 25, 1873 |
| Died | January 22, 1960 (aged 86) Paris 17th, France |
| Nationality | Luxembourgish (naturalized French in 1943) |
| Occupation | Sports journalist |
Alphonse Steinès (born Johann Stenges; August 25, 1873 – January 22, 1960) was a French sports journalist of Luxembourgish origin. A journalist at Le Vélo and later L'Auto, he played an important role in shaping the early Tour de France, especially by convincing director Henri Desgrange to route the race closer to the country's borders and through the high mountain passes of the Alps and Pyrenees. He was inducted into the Gloire du sport (French Sports Hall of Fame) in 2010.[1]
Biography
[edit]Alphonse Steinès was born in Wormeldange, Luxembourg, on August 25, 1873. He left Luxembourg for Paris at the age of 14. There, he studied mechanics through evening classes at the École des arts et métiers. He bought his first bicycle in 1889 and became an accomplished cyclist. Victor Breyer introduced him to the Sport Vélocipédique Parisien and brought him into Le Vélo as a journalist, where he became one of the main writers for the cycling section. He covered amateur cycling and the activities of cycling clubs. Steinès was involved in organizing races like Paris–Roubaix and became president of the Union des cyclistes de Paris in 1897.[2]
He later joined L'Auto, a rival publication, where he led the sports societies section. Steinès had a significant influence on the route of the Tour de France, which began in 1903. He traveled around France to meet the paper’s correspondents and famously "scouted the 48 catalogued mountain passes in the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps to test new car brakes." From this, he became convinced that a cycling race could pass through these mountainous regions and urged Desgrange to do so in order to bring the race closer to the borders of France.[3]
In the 1905 Tour de France, a successful stage through the foothills of the Alps between Grenoble and Gap won over Desgrange. By 1907, the Col de Porte was included. While Desgrange thought these efforts already tested the limits of human endurance, Steinès advocated for even greater challenges. He convinced a hesitant Desgrange to add the Pyrenees. These mountains first appeared on the route as a trial during the 1910 Tour de France, where the Portet-d'Aspet, Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet, and Aubisque were crossed in one stage. The stage was won by eventual race winner Octave Lapize, who infamously shouted at Victor Breyer during the race: "You are criminals! Tell Desgrange from me. You cannot ask men to do such things!"[4]
In 1911, the Tour included both the Alps and the Pyrenees, notably featuring the Col du Galibier for the first time. By pushing Desgrange to embrace the high mountains, Steinès helped shape the Tour into the iconic event known for its epic mountain stages.[5]
Honours
[edit]- Knight of the Legion of Honour (France)
- Officer of the Order of the Oak Crown (Luxembourg)
- Grand Cross of the Civil Merit (Luxembourg)
References
[edit]- ^ Viollet, Sandrine (2007). Le Tour de France cycliste: 1903–2005 (in French). L'Harmattan. ISBN 978-2-296-02505-9.
- ^ Viollet 2007, pp. 22–23
- ^ Viollet 2007, p. 48
- ^ Nelissen, Jean (1973). Tour de France Hemel en hel op een stukje leer | 60 jaar Tourhistorie (in Dutch). Baarn: de Boekerij. p. 35-39. ISBN 9022503615.
- ^ Viollet 2007, pp. 54–58
- ^ "Doudesannonce vum Alphonse Steinès". Luxemburger Wort (in Luxembourgish). 25 January 1960. Retrieved 11 January 2023 – via eluxemburgensia.lu.
Further reading
[edit]- Gricius, Pierre, 2011. Alphonse Steinès - Vun Ohn op den Tourmalet. Den éischte Lëtzebuerger Sportjournalist. Mat Texter vum Christine MULLER a Frank WILHELM. Ed. sportspress.lu, Lëtzebuerg.
- Hausemer, G., 2006. Steines/Steinès. In: Luxemburger Lexikon, S. 409. 1. Oplo. Éditions Guy Binsfeld, Lëtzebuerg.
- Ollivier, Jean-Paul, 2008. Le Tour de France: Lieux et étapes de légende, 191 Säiten. Éditions Flammarion, Paris. ISBN 2700312856
- Kérébel, Dominique, 2010. Le Tour de France et les Pyrénées, 250 Säiten. Éditions Cairn, Pau. ISBN 2350681645
- Viollet, Sandrine, 2007. Le Tour de France cycliste 1903-2005. L'Harmattan, 256 S. ISBN 9782296025059
Category:1873 births Category:1960 deaths Category:People from Wormeldange Category:French sports journalists Category:French male journalists Category:Luxembourgian journalists Category:Luxembourgian male journalists Category:Cycling writers Category:Tour de France people Category:Naturalized citizens of France Category:20th-century French journalists Category:20th-century Luxembourgian people Category:Arts et Métiers ParisTech alumni