Legends of the Tour de France

Some names will be familiar and others maybe less so. I’ve also included some of their funniest or more outrageous quotes.

I believe that by understanding some of the characters from Tour history you get a better understanding of the race itself.

Ferdi Kubler – a fun loving Swiss champion who took his only Tour victory in 1950 and rode with a devil-may-care attitude that back fired as often as it succeeded. He retired from racing at the age of 38 and now, at 94, is the oldest living Tour champion. While riding the fiendishly difficult Mont Ventoux in 1955, Kubler set off on his usual attack. A fellow rider warned “Careful Ferdi, Ventoux is not like other mountains”, to which he replied “Ferdi is not like other riders” and off he went. At the end of the stage, during which a delirious Kubler had gone in the wrong direction and drank a lot of beer he abandoned the race saying “Ferdi is too old…Ferdi hurts too much…he has killed himself on the Ventoux”.

Fausto Coppi – more at home in his native Italy, Coppi still managed two Tour wins, first in 1949 and then in 1952. Il Campionissimo was famed for his movie star looks and his colourful private life but rode his bike like an angel. He rode and won his first race aged 15, taking home 20 lira and a salami sandwich. On his tragic death at age 40 (from malaria), he was mourned by a loving nation, which is still awaiting a successor capable of filling his handmade leather cycling shoes. Coppi was candid about amphetamine use during his career; when asked if took “La bomba” he responded “Only when necessary”, to which the interviewer countered “and how often is that”? Coppi answered “Most of the time”.

Jacques Anquetil – Maitre (Master) Jacques, or Monsieur Chrono - a nickname which derived from his mastery of the Time Trial, dominated cycling from the late 1950’s through to the mid 1960’s picking up five Tour victories along the way. The less said about his “interesting” private life the better, but just as many books have been written on the way he rode. In many ways he laid down the template for today’s victors – hold firm in the mountains and take time on the Time Trials – it worked for Wiggins and Froome. His manager said that he was the perfect cyclist, with bellows for lungs, a giant pump for a heart and a computer for a brain. In many ways Anglo-Saxon in his style, his approach to training was particularly Gallic…“To prepare for a race there is nothing better than a pheasant, some champagne and a woman”. Not sure that is in the Team Sky manual.

Raymond Poulidor – more popular in France than his all-conquering rival Anquetil, Poulidor was never to win the race but finished both second and third on two occasions. He became the living embodiment of the gallant loser, the plucky runner up or to the French, “The eternal second”. Stockier and a bit rougher round the edges than the sleek, stylish Anquetil, Poulidor the farm hand and his rival fought out a famous duel on the Puy de Dome in 1964, where the two rode shoulder to shoulder to the top, making cycling, for a few minutes, a contact sport. Poulidor was present as Anquetil lay on his deathbed in 1987, the great champion telling his once bitter rival, “My friend, you will come second to me again”.

Eddy Merckx – here are some bald statistics for you; number of “Monument” (the big 5, one day races) wins – 19, number of Grand Tour wins – 11, number of days in Le Tour Yellow Jersey – 96, number of days in the Giro Pink Jersy – 78, Tour de France overall wins – five, Giro d’Italia overall wins – five. The numbers alone are quite staggering, and bear in mind that the above relates only to the BIG races. Outside of the major events Merckx was as equally driven to win – leading to his nickname “The Cannibal”, because his appetite for winning was insatiable. His professional career total victories stand at an astonishing 525. In the 1969 Tour de France Merckx accomplished what will never be accomplished again by winning the Overall classification, the Mountain classification and, impossible to dream of now, the Sprinters classification as well. Merckx was never particularly outspoken; on being asked about what special training should be undertaken to win he answered in typical style “Ride. Lots.”

Bernard Hinault – another five-time winner of Le Tour, the French haven’t had a victor of their own race since Hinault’s last in 1985. Nicknamed Le Blaireau, or Badger, for his ferocious attacking style Hinault dominated the peloton as much through his force of character as his prodigious ability. Look at any picture of him during the 1980s and it will be the same image – a scowling face, furrowed brow, shoulders hunched over his bars – you can almost hear him snarling through the photo! Between 1978 – 1986 Hinault took five Tour de France wins (including 28 stage wins) and three Giro d’Italia wins, dominating in time trials but also with prodigious climbing ability and a vicious turn of pace.

Squaring the circle of this article, Hinault had an almost Kubler-esque determination to go for broke, which often back-fired. His most famous quote sums up the man quite well… "As long as I breathe, I attack”.