Vintage Photos from La Vuelta, Bisbee, Az Bike Race

[JER3]

A relative recently gave me several vintage ektachromes taken at the Bisbee, AZ "La Vuelta" bike race. The lablel on the slide holders indicate they were developed in April 1983. I'd imagine that the actual images could be somewhat older given the propensity of folks to leave film in a camera or drawer. Anyway, I wasn't sure just what to do with them so I thought I'd scan and share them here in hopes that someone might find some nostalga from cycling days long gone.

The links below are to the full-size JPG images (about 4 to 5 MB each) hosted on my public dropbox folder. Please advise if you have any trouble viewing them.


https://db.tt/CbWxfNjX

https://db.tt/NsEoP8dO

https://db.tt/gIR2HYGn

https://db.tt/dr96355r

https://db.tt/OtfhPZTa

Best Wishes!

JER3

[fiamme red]

Thanks so much for scanning and posting.

It's very interesting to see the variety of headgear: leather hairnets, leather hairnets covered by cotton cycling caps, Brancale Sport helmets, and Skid Lid helmets.

Great jerseys and bikes too.

[maxdog]

Thanks.

[pbarry]

Third image down is a winner!

[tiretrax]

There's a blast from the past. Do you know if any pros were there? Thank you for posting.

[JER3]

There's a blast from the past. Do you know if any pros were there? Thank you for posting.

Sorry, I don't have any info about the race. Maybe someone here could fill in some details?

Glad you're all enjoying the pics. I agree the third one is most telling of the suffering on those steep hills.

[thwart]

I need this kind of ride support…

[Duende]

Pretty sure Greg Lemond rode it. Or at least some young American who raced in France. Could of been Boyer or Hampsten too I guess.

Whoever it was left some French punk records behind that I acquired as a young kid! :)

[john903]

Wow great pictures from the past Thanks for posting.
Did we really not wear any eye protection back then, just today I had a bug whack my glasses pretty good.

[Duende]

More about the race.

It consisted of a stage road race and a criterium.

Bisbee is essentially a mining town with the town actually built inside a large gorge.

The road race took place in the surrounding hills above the city.

The crit was reknown for being extremely dangerous as there existed a particular hairpin turn off a decent that started out with pavement and ended in cobblestones at the bottom.

I was too young to race it back then. But I have older friends who did. And I am still jealous of them to this day!

It was a really big deal back then. :)

[Lewis Moon]

I raced it sometime before those pics, maybe a year or two.

[Saint Vitus]

Very cool, Bisbee is a neat town that hadn't changed much 15 years later when I visited there. In that last pic it looks like maybe the gal right of centre point was standing too close to the peloton and got clipped lol

[witcombusa]

If in Bisbee and into the vintage bike thing, you must give Ken a call at the
Bisbee Bicycle Brothel. Retail shop is closed but much is still going on there.
See the web site for more info...

http://www.bisbeebicyclebrothel.com/

[Dale Alan]

Great pics,thanks for sharing .

[Gummee]

Having been to Bisbee, I can tell y'all that them hills are even steeper than the pics make em out to be.

Not a race I'd do well at since I'm allergic to hills

M

[redir]

Very cool thanks for sharing.

[Walter]

I used to spectate at the race as often as I could. I live in Tucson about 90 minutes away from Bisbee. I

It has included a TT, two road stages and the downtown crit some years. LeMond did indeed race it years ago. One year it was the US Natls. The race used to draw really strong teams and big names on the domestic scene.

[fiamme red]

If in Bisbee and into the vintage bike thing, you must give Ken a call at the
Bisbee Bicycle Brothel. Retail shop is closed but much is still going on there.
See the web site for more info...

http://www.bisbeebicyclebrothel.com/Retail store just reopened!

"IMPORTANT NOTICE: We are excited to announce that we have reopened a retail store at 78 Main St. in downtown Bisbee as of February 13, 2016. We will be open 10 AM-5 PM Wednesdays through Mondays. Our phone number is 520-236-4855."

[Saxon]

Super cool photos! Thanks for posting them!

[fiamme red]

Retail store just reopened!

"IMPORTANT NOTICE: We are excited to announce that we have reopened a retail store at 78 Main St. in downtown Bisbee as of February 13, 2016. We will be open 10 AM-5 PM Wednesdays through Mondays. Our phone number is 520-236-4855."This link to photos taken yesterday was posted on the CR list: https://www.flickr.com/photos/68123172@N03/sets/72157664316501063.

[Lewis Moon]

Gotta get back to Bisbee.

[Flying Pigeon]

Awesome pics.. thanks! I can't remember what year a teenaged Lemond cleaned up there, but he obviously moved on to winning pro races and the World's by 1983.

The Vuelta is missed, especially the real deal with that last day criterium (which couldn't be called a criterium because of too much elevation change). I spectated first in '84 and raced in '90. :beer: