The story is just a stack of anecdotes. The Tour of Italy, created in 1909, abounds in it even if the 1973 edition will inevitably mark the memories. Between a prestigious winner, the Belgian Eddy Merckx, a season blessed for cycling and an invitation to travel through several European countries, this Giro will inevitably be remembered. And, for the Moselle, crossing point of the third stage between Luxembourg and Strasbourg, a day of May 21 like no other …
An Eddy Merckx at the top of his game
“The Tour de France has passed many times in Metz but the Giro has only come once,” confirms Georges Charlier, a fine follower of the history of cycling platoons. “In addition, 1973 was one of the flagship years of Eddy Merckx’s reign and perhaps the biggest start to the season in cycling history. The Cannibal, then aged 27, is at the top of his game: already quadruple winner of the Tour de France, double world champion, five times winner of Milan-San Remo, he appears on the start line of the Tour d ‘Italy only a few days after winning the first, and only, Tour of Spain in its immense career. “Merckx is third in Paris-Nice, third in the Tour of Flanders and, from there, wins everything in its path,” explains Georges Charlier. “He started the Tour of Spain on April 26 and won after winning seven stages and wearing the leader’s jersey for eleven days until arriving on May 13. Then on May 18, just five days later, he is already at the start of the Tour of Italy, which he will win after winning over six stages. Then, he won Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. “
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In Moselle, the peloton will unfortunately only be entitled to a shy welcome from the spectators. For two reasons: “There was not a committed Frenchman who burst the screen at the time since Poulidor had chosen not to run it, just like Roger Pingeon and Bernard Thévenet”, blows Georges Charlier. And the route, that of a long cycle tourist to Strasbourg, did not really lend itself to offensive inclinations. The last 400 m, on the Boulevard de l’Europe in Strasbourg, will be the only achievement of a stage led to a senator’s train, with a victory for the Dutchman Karsten, finally downgraded in favor of the Belgian Van Rosbroeck for irregularity .
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Before that, the peloton procession, passed by the municipalities of Volmerange-les-Mines, Kanfen, Hettange-Grande, Manom, Thionville, Uckange, Guénange, Bousse, Ay, Ennery, Mairy, Saint-Julien-lès-Metz, Metz , Grigy, Ars Laquenexy, Courcelles sur Nied, Sorbey, Lemud, Rémilly, Han sur Nied, Vatimont, Brulange, Destry, Baronville, Morhange, Bermering, Bénestroff, Marimont, Bassing, Loudrefing, Miterrsheim and Fénétrange, will not necessarily be animated the streets as the organizers hoped. If the schoolchildren, very happy to see Merckx, will have made a little noise, the passage in Metz will remain anecdotal. Asked by the Republican Lorrain, the Italian consul in Metz at the time, Francesco Olivieri, even went so far as to say: “I myself was more passionate about sailing and fencing. I remember a Giro I saw in Florence, but it must have been around fifteen years ago. “
After the Moselle, this 1973 Tour of Italy will continue to innovate since it will pass “under the Mont Blanc tunnel”, explains Georges Charlier. Merckx, crowned without any discussion in Trieste, will continue to write his legend. But at the end of the season, a cloud will tarnish this beautiful year: tested positive for norephedrine, he will be disqualified from the Tour of Lombardy, which he had just won. Far behind the Belgian, Francesco Moser, winner of the fourteenth stage for his first big lap, will take advantage of this Giro in Moselle to write the first lines of a rich career with professionals …
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