Technology and Scarcity

Post-war Tours showcased incredible technological creativity born from scarcity. Riders cobbled together bicycles from pre-war frames and salvaged components. Teams unable to obtain proper tires experimented with substitutes. Mechanics, lacking proper tools, improvised repairs that would have seemed impossible before the war.

Innovation from Necessity

This period of scarcity drove innovation. Lightweight materials, developed for military purposes, found cycling applications. Improved gear systems, refined in Swiss workshops during neutrality, revolutionized climbing. Aerodynamic insights, gained from aviation advances, influenced riding positions. The war's technological legacy, tragic in origin, advanced cycling in unexpected ways.