Václav Vondřich earned the nickname “The Travelling Blacksmith” from spectators at a race in Dourdan, France, on June 2, 1905, when he competed with a bag full of tools and spare parts. Vondřich rode a Laurin & Klement CCR twin-cylinder motorcycle to victory in what was unofficially considered the FICM (Fédération Internationale des Clubs Motocyclistes) World Championship—the precursor to today’s FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme). The triumph was even sweeter for the Bohemia-based brand because the runner-up, František Toman, was also on a Laurin & Klement motorcycle. Laurin & Klement, established in 1895, is the original brand behind Škoda Auto, now based in Czechia.
Although we don’t know precisely how many spare parts or tools the L&K riders used during the 168-mile race, which consisted of five laps on a 33.5-mile circuit, it’s known that only three out of the twelve competitors finished. The field was diverse, including riders from Austria (Puch), Great Britain (Ariel, Matchless, and JAP), France (Griffon and Peugeot), and Germany (Progress).
The race was notably grueling. The roads were rough, and the course included three “neutralization zones” where riders had to dismount and push their bikes. This requirement likely led to many competitors dropping out because their engines wouldn’t restart.
Victory for Vondřich was by no means a sure thing. The previous year’s winner, Léon Demeester, led for 153 miles. Vondřich passed Demeester on the final lap, eventually finishing more than eight minutes clear of Demeester after over three hours of racing. Demeester, meanwhile, was disqualified due to an illegal rear wheel change. That moved Toman into the runner-up spot.
Laurin & Klement recognized motorsport’s potential for promotion early on. In 1901, their rider Narcis Podsedníček won the 743-mile Paris to Berlin race, only to be disqualified for arriving at 3 a.m. when no official timekeepers were present. In 1903, L&K bikes DNFed just once in 84 starts, winning 32 of 34 races, cementing the company’s reputation for performance and reliability. Despite the impressive achievements in the motorcycle field, by 1905, the company shifted its focus and resources away from two wheels and into automobile manufacturing, which continues under the Škoda Auto brand.
