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Abstract
The Vuelta Ciclista a España, whose 75th anniversary will be celebrated in 2010, is one of the three big stage races in the world, alongside the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia. It is arguably a major yearly sporting event with a wide popular appeal and media coverage, not only at a national level but also increasingly at a global one. Yet, unlike the Tour and the Giro, it remains unexplored from a socio-scientific perspective. This article aims, therefore, at breaking some new ground while analysing the socio-political dimension of this long-lasting, successful sporting event's first instalment in 1935, putting it against the backdrop of the turbulent Second Republic and the path leading to the Civil War. The media-confected nature of the Vuelta is highlighted, which brings it close to its fellow races of the Big Three Tours (also set up and managed by daily newspapers), but a major difference is pointed out: the first Vuelta's predominant political-ideological rationale, its overwhelming propagandistic aim put to the service of Spanish reactionary forces, compared to the mainly commercial purposes of the first Tour's and Giro's marketing-driven organizers.
Sport, Médias, politique et nationalisme à la veille de la guerre civile d'Espagne. Le premier Tour d'Espagne (1935)
Le Tour d'Espagne (La « Vuelta Ciclista a España »), dont le 75e anniversaire sera célébré en 2010, est l'une des trois grandes courses àétapes du monde, avec le Tour de France et le Giro d'Italie. On peut soutenir qu'il s'agit d'un événement sportif majeur qui suscite un large intérêt populaire et qui bénéficie d'une couverture médiatique, non seulement au niveau national mais aussi, de plus en plus, àéchelle mondiale. Pourtant, contrairement au Tour de France et au Giro, cette épreuve ne bénéficie d'aucune recherche sociologique. Cet article s'emploie par conséquent à combler une lacune, en analysant la dimension socio-politique de la première édition (1935) de cet événement sportif populaire et durable, tout en rappelant qu'il se déroule alors même, qu'en toile de fond, les agitations de la Seconde République se multiplient et conduiront à la guerre civile. La nature médiatique du Tour d'Espagne est rappelée, qui permet de le rapprocher des « Grands Tours » (fondés et organisés par des journaux quotidiens), mais une différence majeur est soulignée : la logique politico-idéologique prédominante du premier Tour d'Espagne, son but évident de propagande mis au service des forces réactionnaires espagnoles, comparés au but essentiellement commercial poursuivi par les organisateurs du premier Tour de France ou du premier Giro.
Deporte, prensa, política y nacionalismo a las puertas de la Guerra Civil española: la primera Vuelta Ciclista a España (1935)
La Vuelta Ciclista a España, que celebrará su 75 aniversario en 2010, es una de las tres grandes vueltas por etapas del calendario ciclista mundial, junto con el Tour de Francia y el Giro de Italia. Es sin duda un acontecimiento deportivo anual de primer orden, con amplio seguimiento popular y cobertura mediática, no solo en España sino también, cada vez más, a escala global. No obstante, a diferencia del Tour y del Giro, su estudio no ha sido abordado todavía desde una perspectiva académica. Este artículo presenta un novedoso análisis de la dimensión sociopolítica de la primera edición (1935) de este veterano y exitoso acontecimiento deportivo, contextualizándolo en el marco de la turbulenta Segunda República y de la deriva que acabó desembocando en la Guerra Civil. El artículo pone de manifiesto la naturaleza de la Vuelta como acontecimiento mediático, lo que la aproxima a las otras dos grandes carreras por etapas (que también fueron fundadas y organizadas por periódicos), pero señala una importante diferencia: el carácter predominantemente político-ideológico de la iniciativa, su misión abiertamente propagandística al servicio de las fuerzas reaccionarias españolas, que contrasta con los fines mayoritariamente comerciales y de márqueting de los organizadores del primer Giro y del primer Tour.
Sport, Medien, Politik und Nationalismus am Vorabend des spanischen Bürgerkriegs: Die erste Vuelta Ciclista a España (1935)
Die Vuelta Ciclista a España, deren 75. Jahrestag 2010 gefeiert wird, ist neben der Tour de France und dem Giro d'Italia eines der drei großen Etappenrennen der Welt. Sie ist wahrscheinlich eines der größten jährlichen Sportevents mit weitreichender Popularität und medialer Berichterstattung, nicht bloß auf nationaler Ebene, sondern auch immer mehr auf globaler. Dennoch, und damit im Gegensatz zur Tour und dem Giro, bleibt sie aus sozialwissenschaftlicher Perspektive unerforscht. Dieser Artikel zielt darauf ab, sich auf neuen Bahnen zu bewegen und die sozio-politische Dimension der Gründung dieses langanhaltenden, erfolgreichen Sportevents im Jahre 1935 vor dem Hintergrund der unruhigen Zweiten Republik und dem Weg, der in den Bürgerkrieg mündet, zu analysieren. Die mediendurchsetzte Natur der Vuelta wird beleuchtet und bringt sie damit in die Nähe der Partnerrennen der Big Three Tours (die ebenso von den Tageszeitungen aufgenommen und behandelt wurden), ein bedeutender Unterschied wird jedoch deutlich gemacht: das politisch-ideologische Grundprinzip der ersten Vuelta, nämlich das mehrheitlich propagandistische Ziel, welches den reaktionären spanischen Kräfte diente, im Gegensatz zu den hauptsächlich kommerziellen Zwecken, die die absatzorientierten Organisatoren der ersten Tour und des Giros verfolgten.
Acknowledgements
This article was written in Sydney, Australia, in late September 2009 thanks to an honorary Research Visitor appointment kindly offered to the author by the Centre for Cultural Research at the University of Western Sydney. He gives warm thanks to CCR's Director, Prof. Brett Neilson and the Centre's efficient support staff for their hospitality and help, as well as to Prof. David Rowe for his academic guidance and his friendship. He is also very grateful to Josetxo Cerdán, David Domingo, Carme Ferré and David Rowe for reading and commenting on earlier versions of the article.
Notes
[1] Rowe, Sport, Culture and the Media, 33.
[2] Dauncey and Hare, ‘The Tour de France’, 1.
[3] Ibid., 18.
[4] In addition to no fewer than 18 references of journalistic material.
[5] Dauncey and Hare, The Tour de France 1903–2003.
[6] Thomson, The Tour de France.
[7] Colombo and Lanotte, La corsa del secolo.
[8] Marchesini, L'Italia del Giro d'Italia.
[9] Dauncey and Hare, ‘The Tour de France’, 5.
[10] De Pablos, Historia de la Vuelta Ciclista a España.
[11] Running since 1935 with interruptions between 1937–40, 1943–44, 1949 and 1951–54, due to the Spanish Civil War, World War Two and their aftermaths.
[12]‘Banal’ is used here in the sense proposed by Billig, Banal Nationalism.
[13] This was the official Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) paper, banned from 6 October 1934 to 16 December 1935 (Checa, Prensa y partidos políticos durante la II República, 73) due to the implication of PSOE in the October 1934 revolution. The paper was researched for the 1936 edition of the Vuelta.
[14] This term is used here to refer to an intermediate position between Spanish and Catalan nationalism; it encompasses stances rejecting Spanish nationalism but not fully embracing Catalan nationalist or separatist options.
[15] Voice of the anarchist trade union CNT-AIT, it was suspended from April to August 1935 on political grounds (Checa, Prensa y partidos políticos durante la II República, 60). The paper was researched for coverage of the 1936 edition of the Vuelta.
[16] Those were at that time (and still are) the two main Spanish cities sustaining a competitive and often hostile relationship.
[17] The first Vuelta allegedly enjoyed a budget of 125,000 pesetas (ABC, 12 May 1968, Sunday supplement, p. 35).
[18] Salazar Alonso was to become the owner of Informaciones in the spring of 1936, after being forced to leave the world of politics following the victory of the centre-to-left coalition in the February 1936 election. He was sentenced to death by a revolutionary court in August 1936 and executed soon after.
[19] Actually in office since the November 1933 election, but forming a coalition with CEDA and other right-wing parties since October 1934.
[20] Checa, Prensa y partidos políticos durante la II República.
[21] De Pablos, Historia de la Vuelta Ciclista a España.
[22] Rufo, Cien años de ciclismo.
[23] Gaboriau, ‘The Tour de France and Cycling's Belle Epoque’.
[24] Dauncey and Hare, ‘The Tour de France’.
[25] Rowe, Sport, Culture and the Media, and Rowe, ‘Power Trip’.
[26] Dauncey and Hare, ‘The Tour de France’, 7.
[27] Rowe, Sport, Culture and the Media, 68.
[28] This is not to say that general-purpose dailies wouldn't be interested in organizing sporting events, for instance Le Parisien Libéré was co-organizer of the Tour de France after the Second World War.
[29] Although L'Auto's ‘financier Marquis Alphonse de Dion and the paper [or rather its editor, Henri Desgrange] were anti-Dreyfus and so, in a sense, against the parliamentary Republic’. Dauncey and Hare, ‘The Tour de France’, 7.
[30] The story follows: ‘In order to facilitate 21 poor female workers to have a much-needed rest and vacation, the same number of graduate students volunteered to undertake their duties in several factories. This example of union and social fraternity between the nation's classes will be much imitated’.
[31]Álvarez, El antisemitismo en España, 310.
[32] Cruz and Saiz, Historia del periodismo en España, 427.
[33] Another revealing cover headline: ‘One has to prevent a bloodthirsty horde from getting hold of Spain and subjecting it to slavery and destitution in the [February 1936] election’ (5 Feb. 1936).
[34] Cruz and Saiz, Cuatro siglos de periodismo en España, 213; Ferrer, Joan March, 148–49, 338.
[35] Cruz and Saiz, Cuatro siglos de periodismo en España, 254.
[36] According to Cruz and Saiz (Historia del periodismo en España, 21), the daily's archives were destroyed during the Civil War.
[37] Gaboriau, ‘The Tour de France and Cycling's Belle Epoque’.
[38] Probably written by the editor, Juan Pujol.
[39] Referring to the first two years of the new Republic, from April 1931 to November 1933, with a centre-to-left coalition in office.
[40] The sample embraces 20 papers but two were suspended at the time of the first Vuelta (El Socialista and Solidaridad Obrera).
[41] This is the popular name for the huge corruption scandal which accelerated the fall of the right-wing government in late 1935. Using this word to refer to the Vuelta sets an explicit link between its organizers and the fallen government.
[42] An extolling epithet for which the Guardia Civil was known. Enthusiastic support of the Guardia Civil was a clear reactionary sign.
[43] Gaboriau, ‘The Tour de France and Cycling's Belle Epoque’, 57.
[44] Ibid., 65.
[45] Ibid., 70.
[46] The average length of the Vuelta's 14 stages was 244.6 kilometres.
[47] The whole Vuelta was ridden at an average speed of 28.537 km/h. By comparison, the 1935 Tour de France's overall average speed was 30.650 km/h for a much longer trip of 4,338 kilometres, against the Vuelta's 3,425 kilometres (sources: www.lavuelta.es and www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net).
[48] Dauncey and Hare, ‘The Tour de France’, 4.
[49] Thomson, The Tour de France.
[50] There were 17 at the beginning of the race: two Dutchmen, one Austrian, four Italians, two Frenchmen, two Swiss and six Belgians, including the rider who was to become the winner of the first Vuelta, Gustaf Deloor.
[51] In the final general classification, the first 10 riders were foreigners, with the exception of Cañardo.
[52] Rowe, Sport, Culture and the Media; Rowe, ‘Power Trip’.
[53] Rowe, ‘Power Trip’, 153.