Tour de France winner Jean Robic was born on the 10th of June in 1921 in Vouziers, France.
His professional career started in the middle of the 2nd World War in 1943.
In 1944 he finished Paris-Roubaix with a fractured skull. After this event, he started wearing a leather helmet which became later something like his trademark. Journalists gave him several nicknames during his almost two-decade-long career, one of them was “Tête de cuir” ( a. k. a “leather-head”)
Due to his shortness and skinny body type (160 cm /60 kg) he was underestimated in his early active years, especially before the Tour de France in 1947. He was selected only for a regional team, not in the main French team. Nevertheless, he was convinced, he should have been selected into the best squad. Robic married just before the Tour de France and allegedly he promised to take home the yellow jersey as a wedding gift.
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1947 was the first year after the 2nd World War Tour de France was held. The absolute favourite of the race was René Vietto, who dominated the race. However, on the 19th stage, the longest individual time trial ever (139 km), Pierro Brambilla took over the lead in the general classification. He wore the yellow on the very last day too when Robic attacked and claimed the overall victory of the race.
In the next few years, Robic delivered a solid performance at the Tour de France, he finished 4th in 1949 and 5th in 1952, when he was the only one rider who partially could ride alongside with Fausto Coppi up to Alpe d’Huez.
Robic had some success also in cyclo-cross, he was French National Champion (1945) and World Champion (1950)
He had a serious injury at the Tour de France in 1953 and never was the same. His professional career ended in 1961. After his retirement, he, as many other cycling champions before and after, struggled to find his place in ordinary life.
His professional teams
1943–1945 Génial Lucifer
1946–1949 Génial Lucifer-Hutchinson
1950 Thomann-Riva Sport
1951 Automoto-Dunlop
1952–1954 Terrot-Hutchinson
1955 Gitane-Hutchinson
1956–1957 Essor-Leroux
1958–1959 Margnat-Coupry
1960 Rochet-Margnat
1961 Margnat-Rochet-Dunlop
Jean Robic died in a car accident on the 10th of October in 1980, after attending a party celebrating Joop Zoetemelk’s Tour de France victory.
MORE TOUR DE FRANCE IN THE ALPS
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MORE TOUR DE FRANCE IN THE 1950S
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