RIP POU POU

[DNC123]

A sad loss.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/50403160

[reohn2]

Yes another cycling great goes.83 is a good age though concidering what riders of the time put themselves through.

[mjr]

Top story on Belgian lunchtime news (2nd a gas fault, 3rd leadership contest of the PM's party, 4th floods in Venice, 5th the Belgian royal honours list).

Did it even get mentioned on BBC lunchtime news?

[reohn2]

Not surprising really,ask any chap or chapess on the street who Raymond Poulidor was and you know what the answer would be.It'd be the same story if you asked who Reg Harris was.
Cycling and especially the TdeF on the continent has a far higher profile than in the UK.
TBH if asked it wouldn't surprise me if less than 25% of the people on the street knew who Geraint Thomas was.

[mattheus]

Yes another cycling great goes.83 is a good age though concidering what riders of the time put themselves through.

We may consider them gods, but they still don't live forever!

[reohn2]

Yes another cycling great goes.83 is a good age though concidering what riders of the time put themselves through.

We may consider them gods, but they still don't live forever!

I've never considered them anything more than dedicated athletes.
That's not to diminish their achievements in any way,but they are/were only human like us

[Audax67]

Poulidor was a great soul who was loved as a human as much as or even more than he was admired as a cyclist.

[Cyril Haearn]

Worth reading about Anquetil too, they were different and complimentary, I admire Poulidor
I guess most British people have heard of Bobby Charlton, is that a good parallel?

The Guardian obituary of Poulidor is worth reading. Both his grandsons are professional cyclists

[reohn2]

Poulidor was a great soul who was loved as a human as much as or even more than he was admired as a cyclist.

Reading about him I believe so.

[Brucey]

RIP indeed. He did well; a lot of professional cyclists die young. A great rider for sure, but Poulidor had retired before I started being interested in cycling; for me he was always yesterday's champion.

However we'll soon be in the position where the 'old guard' of professional cycling were the contemporary stars of my youth, which means that I will officially be feeling rather ancient myself....

cheers

[TrevA]

Probably the greatest stage racer never to win the Tour. He was coming towards the end of his career when I started cycling but he was still one of the giants of the sport. RIP.

[pete75]

Probably the greatest stage racer never to win the Tour. He was coming towards the end of his career when I started cycling but he was still one of the giants of the sport. RIP.

Unlucky too. His tour bête noire Anquetil retired then Merckx came along. There's a good quote about him in the film A Sunday in Hell about the 1976 edition of Paris Roubaix "Raymond Poulidor, forty years old but still among the best."

[youtube]zxBTVU9JDrA[/youtube]

[Cyril Haearn]

He was sort of lucky to be the eternal second, he was so popular

Roger Pingeon won le grand Boucle but was far less famous than Poulidor

[DNC123]

As mentioned elsewhere, the photo of Pou Pou and Anquetil dueling up the mountain in the 63(?) Tour is one of the best ever sports photos in any event anywhere, anytime.

Google Anquetil/Poulidor Puy de Dome for a video. Sorry, don't know how to post videos on here.

[pete75]

As mentioned elsewhere, the photo of Pou Pou and Anquetil dueling up the mountain in the 63(?) Tour is one of the best ever sports photos in any event anywhere, anytime.

Google Anquetil/Poulidor Puy de Dome for a video. Sorry, don't know how to post videos on here.

[youtube]KwJYQ4S-87A[/youtube]