Emil Dörflinger[]
Emil Dörflinger was a Swiss professional cyclist from 1900 to 1914.
With his 1.92 meter and 100kg, he was exceptionally tall for the time; which earned him the nickname "long Emil". The magazine “La Vie au Grand Air” provides us with some additional details: “Doerflinger came from Switzerland to France to make his fortune. He honorably holds his place; he is almost as tall as Mac Farland and angrily pushes the seemingly frail machine between his long legs. He's no tactician, but he's a brave man who on certain days is equal to the best."
During his sporting career, he was seven times Swiss sprint champion, winning nine national titles. In tandem: in with the Frenchman Victor Dupré, Dörflinger remained undefeated for two and a half years. He would have totaled around 155 victories on the German tracks in ten years of career.
He hit the headlines in what was called The Doerflinger Affair.
When war was declared, Emil Doerflinger returned to settle in the Basel region. after working a few months as an accountant in England. With commercial training, fluently bilingual, it was finally with the chocolate brand Séchaud that Emil landed a job.
Despite the ongoing war, everything seems to be going well for Emil. The small world of cycling is delighted with the successful reconversion of the "Swiss giant" when suddenly in mid-September 1915 came news of his arrest and death sentence for espionage.
The news was a bombshell for all those who appreciated the sympathetic Swiss runner. In the days that follow, we learn more about the circumstances of his arrest and his conviction. While it is difficult to get a clear picture of what really happened. The "pro-German" or simply neutral press takes up the information transmitted by the authorities, while the French and those who support them evoke a plot and a trial which took place under unfair conditions.
During his trial, Emil allegedly confessed to having provided information allowing aerial bombardments on German cities with the aim of destroying ammunition depots.
After announcing that he had been shot dead, it was announced that he was pardoned by the Kaiser as a diplomatic gesture towards the Swiss government. The death sentence was simply commuted to a life sentence. Some French newspapers protested against this decision which they considered to be unjust and disproportionate, but could it be otherwise?
Released in 1919, he will no longer resume competition: "handicapped by a long and painful captivity in Germany, has decided not to run for the national championship any longer." He will settle and die in Alsace in 1963.