Original 1949 Tour de France Route Guide, La Carte Guide du Tour 1949, Fausto Coppi Cycling Ephemera

Original La Carte Guide du Tour 1949, an authentic French Tour de France fold-out route map and programme issued by Éditions Armand Fleury, Paris.

This is exactly the kind of object that serious cycling collectors respond to because it feels alive with the race itself. It is not just a map. It is a true period race guide — something meant to be opened, studied, followed stage by stage, and kept afterwards. The front unfolds into a vivid colour route map of the 1949 Tour de France, complete with stage towns, mountain profiles, rest days, and route markings laid out across France and beyond. Turn it over and it becomes something richer still: rider portraits, retrospective material on the 1948 Tour, and programme text that give it the atmosphere of a genuine contemporary race document rather than a simple souvenir.

What makes this example especially appealing is that it goes beyond route information. The reverse, with its grid of rider portraits and retrospective coverage, gives the piece real personality and immediacy. Instead of feeling like a static map, it feels like a snapshot of the Tour as it was actually being followed and discussed at the time. That editorial layer is a big part of what lifts it above more ordinary cycling ephemera.

The historical context gives it real depth. The 1949 Tour de France was won by Fausto Coppi, who in that same year became the first rider to complete the Giro d’Italia–Tour de France double. That alone makes this guide more than just an attractive folding map — it becomes a genuine piece of Tour history from one of the great post-war editions.

Visually, it is also superb. The red route line across France, the stage boxes, the mountain graphics, and the dense rider portraits on the reverse give it exactly the kind of bold, information-rich design that makes mid-century Tour material so displayable. It works beautifully as collectible cycling ephemera, but it also has enough graphic strength to frame and enjoy as wall art.

This is an authentic original vintage cycling guide and fold-out route map, not a reproduction.

Publisher: Éditions Armand Fleury, Paris Title: La Carte Guide du Tour 1949 / La Carte-Guide Programme du Tour 1949 Date: 1949 Country: France Format: Original fold-out paper cycling guide / route map / programme Size: Approximately 63 × 49 cm unfolded Condition: Good overall vintage condition; folded as issued, with age toning, handling wear, and fold wear consistent with period cycling ephemera Framing: Unframed

A highly collectible original for collectors of Tour de France memorabilia, vintage cycling ephemera, French sporting print culture, and mid-century graphic design.

Please review all photographs carefully, as they form part of the description. Packed with great care and shipped fully insured.