Charly Gaul facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Charly Gaul

Gaul in 1959
Personal information
Full name	Charly Gaul
Nickname	Angel of the Mountains
Born	(1932-12-08)8 December 1932 Pfaffenthal, Luxembourg
Died	6 December 2005(2005-12-06) (aged 72) Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	64 kg (141 lb)
Team information
Discipline	Road and cyclo-cross
Role	Rider
Rider type	Climbing specialist
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France General classification (1958) Mountains classification (1955, 1956) 10 individual stages (1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961) Giro d'Italia General classification (1956, 1959) Mountains classification (1956, 1959) 11 individual stages (1956–1961)

Charly Gaul (born December 8, 1932 – died December 6, 2005) was a famous professional cyclist from Luxembourg. He was known for being a national cyclo-cross champion and an amazing climber. His incredible climbing skills earned him the nickname Angel of the Mountains during the 1958 Tour de France, which he won. He also won the Giro d'Italia twice, in 1956 and 1959. Charly Gaul was at his best when the weather was cold and wet.

Early Life and Amateur Cycling Career

Charly Gaul was a slender man with a serious expression. He had legs that seemed a bit short for his body. Before becoming a professional cyclist at age 20, he worked in a butcher's shop.

He started racing in 1949 and quickly became very good. As an amateur, he won over 60 races. These included the Flêche du Sud and the Tour of the 12 Cantons. When he was just 17, he won a stage in the Tour of Austria. This was his first race outside of Luxembourg.

His first professional race was the Critérium de la Polymultipliée, where he finished eighth. In 1953, he got his first professional win in Luxembourg. He won the national cyclo-cross championship that year. He also came second in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré stage race. The next year, he won a bronze medal at the 1954 world championship.

Charly Gaul's Professional Cycling Career

Tour de France Victories

Charly Gaul first rode the Tour de France in 1953 but had to stop early. He also started the 1954 Tour but didn't finish.

1955 Tour de France Performance

In 1955, Gaul came to the Tour after winning other tough races. He lost a lot of time on the flat stages because his team wasn't very strong. But he started to catch up in the Alps. On one stage, he attacked and left other climbers behind. He gained a huge lead and moved from 37th to third place overall. He also won another stage in the Pyrenees and became the "King of the Mountains." He finished third overall in Paris.

1956 Tour de France Challenges

After winning the 1956 Giro d'Italia, Gaul was far behind in the Tour de France. He was almost half an hour down after six days. But he believed he could make up the time in the mountains. He won the mountains prize again and two more stages. Despite his efforts, he finished 13th overall.

Gaul started the 1957 Tour but had to leave after only two days. He didn't win any stages that year.

1958 Tour de France Triumph

Gaul (left) wearing the race leader's yellow jersey at the 1958 Tour de France, leading the combined Netherlands and Luxembourg team

Charly Gaul returned to the Tour in 1958. He had finished third in the Giro that year. He started strong and won four stages, including three time trials. One of these was a climb up Mont Ventoux. His time on Mont Ventoux was a record for many years.

On the last day in the Alps, his manager told him the rainy weather was perfect for him. Gaul loved the cold rain. He was also determined to get revenge for an incident in the previous year's Giro. He felt that another rider, Louison Bobet, had taken advantage of him. Before the stage, Gaul told Bobet exactly where he would attack.

A small group of riders got ahead early in the stage. Gaul started chasing them, leaving rider after rider behind. He even dropped another great climber, Bahamontes. Gaul kept pushing through heavy rain. The newspaper L'Équipe described it as "a curtain of water, a deluge without an ark." Gaul crossed the finish line far ahead of everyone else. He was 12 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of the chasing group. This amazing ride moved him from 11th to third place overall. Two days later, he won a time trial and took the yellow jersey, winning the 1958 Tour de France.

1959 and Later Tours

In 1959, Gaul finished 12th in the Tour. He struggled in the heat of the Pyrenees. But he still won a stage to Grenoble, with Bahamontes finishing second.

Gaul missed the 1960 Tour. In 1961, he came third overall and won another stage to Grenoble. He crashed in the Alps, hurting his hip, shoulder, and knee. He finished third in the end.

In 1962, he finished ninth but didn't win any stages. This Tour was different because teams were trade teams, not national teams. Gaul's team wasn't one of the strongest. His last Tour was in 1963, but he had to drop out without winning any stages.

Giro d'Italia Successes

Gaul at the 1959 Giro d'Italia

Jacques Anquetil and Gaul at the 1959 Giro d'Italia

Charly Gaul won the Giro d'Italia in 1956 and 1959. His 1956 victory was incredible. He rode alone through snow on the climb of Monte Bondone. It was so cold that he had to be helped off his bike at the finish line.

In 1957, Gaul lost the Giro after stopping by the roadside. His rivals attacked, which was seen as unfair by some. Gaul was very upset by this. This incident fueled his determination for the 1958 Tour de France.

In the 1960 Giro, he won a stage and finished third overall. In 1961, he finished fourth.

Cyclo-cross Achievements

Charly Gaul was also a national cyclo-cross champion. He won this title at the beginning and end of his professional career. He also placed fifth in the world championships in 1956 and 1962. He won many local cyclo-cross races in Luxembourg during his career.

End of Charly Gaul's Career

Charly Gaul's cycling career mostly ended after the 1962 Tour de France. He started to feel tired and less sharp in the races. He left his team and tried to make a comeback, but it didn't work out.

He stopped racing for good in 1965. He was sad about being booed by the crowd in his last race in Luxembourg. After cycling, he ran a café in Luxembourg City for a while. Then, he chose to live a very private life away from the public eye.

Charly Gaul's Riding Style and Personality

Gaul was 1.73 meters tall and weighed 64 kilograms. His light weight helped him greatly in the mountains. He won the "King of the Mountains" prize in the Tour de France in 1955 and 1956. Even though he was light, he was also very good at time trials. He even beat the famous Jacques Anquetil in one Tour de France time trial.

When climbing, Gaul pedaled very fast. He rarely changed his pace or stood up on his bike. Another cyclist, Raphaël Géminiani, described him as "a murderous climber, always the same sustained rhythm." Journalists often called him an "angel" because of how easily he seemed to climb.

Charly Gaul was at his best in cold and rainy weather. He won the 1958 Tour de France after a solo ride through the Alps in a huge rainstorm. This was the first time a pure climber won the Tour. He was not as strong on flat stages or in hot weather.

Gaul was a quiet person and didn't talk much to other riders. He was popular with fans because of his exciting riding style. However, he wasn't always popular with his rivals. Some felt he didn't share his winnings fairly with his teammates. Others said he could be unpredictable.

Retirement and Later Life

After retiring, Charly Gaul moved to a small hut in a forest in Luxembourg. He wanted to live a quiet life away from everyone. He enjoyed walking with his dog. He didn't answer his phone and removed his name from the phone book. People who saw him said he seemed sad and wanted to be left alone.

This quiet life lasted until 1983. That year was the 25th anniversary of his Tour de France victory. It was also when he met his third wife, Josée. He moved with her to a house in Luxembourg City. He then started to speak to the media again, sharing his story.

Death and Legacy

Charly Gaul passed away on December 6, 2005, two days before his 73rd birthday. He died from a pulmonary embolism after a fall at his home. He left behind his wife, Josée, and his daughter, Fabienne. Many people in the cycling world remembered him as a unique rider.

Luxembourg honored Charly Gaul by offering him a job at the sports ministry. There, he could look back at his past and organize his life's memories. In 1989, the Tour de France organizers invited him as a special guest when the race started in Luxembourg. This was his first public appearance in many years. He received the Tour de France medal. He also attended a reunion of former Tour winners in 2002. He started following cycling again and became a guest at many races.

Career Achievements

Major Results

Grand Tour Results Timeline

Images for kids

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  Charly Gaul and Federico Bahamontes in front of a memorial in 1998.

See also

In Spanish: Charly Gaul para niños