<------------------- SOLD -----------------> Contrex logo water bottle by TA Specialities - genuine TdF issue 1975 only

Specialites T.A. - water bottle - 600 milliliter / 20 ounce capacity - White - Light Blue band with "aide-toi..." and "Contrex" logo as well as "t’aidera!" in Black - model 200 Professional ... [near perfect condition - only one very minor blemish to be found at one spot along the top of the Light Blue band (...please refer to photograph) - this Specialites T.A. water bottle is a genuine bit of vintage Tour de France paraphernalia - Contrex itself is a brand of mineral water from the world renown spa of Contrexéville in the Vosges region of France - the very first mineral spa in Contrexéville was constructed in 1774 under the direction of Dr. Bagard, personal physician to King Louis XV, and since that point in time, Contrexéville water itself was recognized as a Natural Mineral Water by the French Government in 1861 and thereafter first offered for sale in bottled form in 1908 - the branded Contrex beverage is a highly mineralized water boasting an extremely potent Calcium content as well as being rich in Magnesium and Sulphate, absent all but trace elements of Sodium, Chlorides, or Nitrates, and having only a modicum of Bicarbonate - as the official beverage sponsor of the Tour de France for several years during the 1970’s and 1980’s, bidons emblazoned with the Contrex logo were made available at feed stations to each and every Tour rider during those corresponding years - and while its logo and associated graphics changed in subtle manner over time, the specific iteration of genuine TdF issued Contrex water bottle seen here dates from 1975 exclusively - genuine TdF issue Contrex water bottles are considered particularly collectible (...some years and styles more so than others) and are VERY difficult to source in unblemished state, or anything near same - the edition seen here was not only the very first version of Contrex logo bottle ever issued, but unlike any of its successors, it appeared ONCE for one and only one year, 1975 (...the year that Bernard Thevenet broke Eddy Merckx’s stranglehold on the event by winning what was to be his first career Tour]