Josef Fischer, the winner of the first Paris-Roubaix (1896) was born on the 20th January, 1865 in Atzlern (near München, Germany).
Fischer participated in several of the earliest long-distance bicycle races, like the 582,5 km long Vienna-Berlin race in 1893, where he triumphed. The route took him 31 hours.
Next year, among others, he attended the 587 km long Milano-München, which he completed in 29 and half hours.
During the 1890s bicycle was still a new vehicle, there were several crazy events to promote the product, like Fischer’s duels against horses.
On the 19th April 1896, the first Paris-Roubaix was held. The distance was 280 km long, the race started at 5:30 am. Although more than 100 riders subcribed to the event (among them Henri Desgrange), only 51 appeared at the start. Josef Fischer completed the distance in 9 hours and 17 minutes and won the race. The second rider, Charles Meyer arrived 23 minutes later.
Fischer was also the only German rider, who rode the first Tour de France in 1903.
After his retirement he lived in France, but had to return to Germany after the first world war broke out.
Josef Fischer died in 1953 in München.
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