1929, the generational change

Nicolau starts to be regarded within the Balearic cycling world, which currently doesn’t have a mentor. His ambition inspires hope among the fandoms. Definitely, he is the future of cycling in the island.

March 10th, 1929, velòdrom de Tirador
Josep Nicolau, el Canó de Llorito
March 10th, 1929, velòdrom de Tirador

Fight over the Trophy France - Espagne

His debut is on March 10th in Tirador during the Trophy France-Espagne, a well-known Catalan bicycle brand. The first competition, the beginners one, is a 30-lap point race with points scored on each lap. Nicolau, Santandreu, Mestres, Adrover, Salvà and Vicens participate in this race. The cyclist from Lloret gets a flat tyre right at the beginning. The jury gives three minutes of neutralisation so he can fix the breakdown. Once he is able to continue, Nicolau shows a good fitness level and gets one of the first places in each sprint. In the end, the score is: Nicolau, 38 points; Salvà, 27 and Santandreu 15.

June 10th, 1929, Barcelona
Josep Nicolau, el Canó de Llorito
June 10th, 1929, Barcelona

Victory in Grand Prix Exhibition

On June 10th a very remarkable event takes place: the debut outside of Mallorca. In Barcelona, he competes for the Grand Pix Exhibition on a 232km route with a start and finish line at Montjuich, where the fairgrounds are located. Cañardo gets the final victory. The best performance from a Majorcan cyclist is for Rafel Pou, who wins the big group sprint; the second best is Nicolau, who finishes in 31st position in the same group as Pou, among 72 classified cyclists. Nicolau is also the winner of the beginner’s category.

June 11th, 1929, Barcelona
Josep Nicolau, el Canó de Llorito
June 11th, 1929, Barcelona

It is the first time that we find a review on the national press.

The national press on the outlook for Nicolau It is the first time that we find a review on the national press. Both El Noticiero on June 10th and El Mundo Deportivo on June 11th highlight Nicolau’s position, who classifies over several professional cyclists in the first category.

July 22nd, 1929, Palma
Josep Nicolau, el Canó de Llorito
July 22nd, 1929, Palma

Nicolau, the revelation of the season

The impact on the communication means increases as the season continues and as a consequence of the results obtained. With the headline “A chat with the already famous José Nicolau”, the Lloret cyclist gets the first page of breaking news after just a few months in the island cycling sphere and becomes the trendy rider in Mallorca. In this interview, he is presented as the hope and immediate future of cycling.

August 8th-15th, 1929, Catalunya
Josep Nicolau, el Canó de Llorito
August 8th-15th, 1929, Catalunya

Debut in the prestigious Tour of Catalonia

It is the participation in the most important the stage race in Spaint, the Tour of Catalonia. In the eleventh edition, celebrated between 8th and 15th of September, Nicolau executes an amazing performance, finishing over a lot of cyclists of the first category in the classification.

November and December 1929, Tirador velodrome
Josep Nicolau, el Canó de Llorito
November and December 1929, Tirador velodrome

The passionate duels between Pou and Nicolau

The months of November and Desember in 1929 witness different duels among Pou and Nicolau. The cyclist from Algaida challenges the Nicolau in a missive to Última Hora. In the first race on November 24th Pou gets the victory, while in the second one on Desember 1st Nicolau is the winner.