Cycling / Cycle Tourism / Adventure - Lot 62

Cycling / Cycle Tourism / Adventure PERRODIL (Edouard, de), *Through the Cacti: A Bicycle Journey Across Algeria*, in-8, Paris, Ernest Flammarion, 1896, 324 pages (stains) A work by the writer, cyclist, journalist, and poet Edouard de Perrodil (1860–1931), a phenomenon of the fledgling world of cycling. Nicknamed “the Don Quixote of the bicycle,” he traveled extensively, and his journeys often culminated in an essay or a book. Alone or in the company of friends such as Henri Farman, he traveled through Vienna, Milan, Madrid, Algiers, and Tunis. He also competed in races such as the Bordeaux-Paris race in 1892. Across 24 chapters, the narrative takes us from the Kasbah to Orléanville, Blidah, Constantine, and the Cheliff Gorges. Through this volume, we get a sense of the passion of an enthusiast of a sport still in its infancy, who would also write about automobiles (Théry) and cycling champions (Guignard, Jaquelin)… A genius who has been unjustly forgotten.