he said that elliott was one of several riders asked to strip for examination by the soigneur raymond le bert, who normally worked for louison bobet. wadley wrote:it would be wrong to say that the company laughed when shay stood there in his underpants, but there were certainly some smiles because in contrast to his lithe, clean-limbed predecessors at the examination, shay looked a short, fat boy. le bert, however, did not smile. immediately he exclaimed: 'ah ha, now this is really rock. he is a real flahute. ("flahute" is a favourite french way of describing the old-type tough flemish roadman.)