Henri Cornet facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Henri Cornet | ||
| Nickname | Le rigolo (The joker) | ||
| Born | 4 August 1884 Desvres, France |
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| Died | 18 March 1941 (aged 56) Prunay-le-Gillon, France |
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| Team information | |||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Henri Cornet (born Henri Jardry; August 4, 1884 – March 18, 1941) was a French cyclist. He is famous for winning the 1904 Tour de France. He was almost 20 years old when he won, making him the youngest winner in the Tour's history.
Contents
Henri Cornet's Early Life and Nickname
Henri Cornet was born in a region of France called Pas-de-Calais. He was first registered with his mother's last name. Later, his stepfather adopted him, and his name became Henri Jardry. It's not known why he later changed his name to Henri Cornet.
Henri was a very good amateur cyclist. He won a race called Paris-Honfleur in 1903. When he joined the Tour de France in 1904, it was his first year as a professional rider. The race organizer, Henri Desgrange, gave nicknames to the lesser-known riders. He called Cornet Le Rigolo, which means "the joker," because Henri was known for his fun personality. People described him as cheerful and always ready to smile.
Winning the 1904 Tour de France
The Tour de France was a big success in its first year, 1903. By 1904, the competition between riders and the excitement of the fans had grown a lot. The race was very challenging, and there were many issues with fairness.
After the race, there were many complaints about widespread cheating. Because of this, the top four cyclists who finished the race were disqualified by the French cycling union. This meant that Henri Cornet was declared the winner of the 1904 Tour de France. Even though he had finished three hours behind the original winner, Maurice Garin, Cornet became the champion. He was also given a warning, which suggests his own actions might not have been perfect either.
Henri Cornet was just 19 years, 11 months, and 20 days old when he won the Tour de France. This makes him the youngest winner ever in the race's history.
Cornet's Cycling Career After 1904
After his big win in 1904, Henri Cornet did not have more success in the Tour de France. He dropped out of the race early in 1905.
However, he still had other important victories. In 1906, he won the famous Paris–Roubaix race. He also finished second in another long race called Bordeaux–Paris that same year. In the 1908 Tour de France, he finished eighth overall. He also won a special one-lap time-trial race held at the end of the 1908 Tour, but this race did not count towards the overall Tour results.
Henri Cornet was known as a smooth rider. He was very good at making repeated short bursts of effort during races.
Retirement and Later Life
Henri Cornet rode his last Tour de France in 1912, finishing 28th. He started having health problems, which eventually ended his cycling career. He stopped racing when World War I began.
After his racing career, Henri Cornet worked in the bicycle business. He passed away at the age of 56 after a hospital operation. Today, a road in Prunay-le-Gillon, France, is named after him to honor his achievements.
Major Achievements
- 1904
- 1904 Tour de France:
Winner overall classification- Winner stage 3
- 1906
- Paris–Roubaix
Images for kids
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Henri Cornet after finishing the 1908 Tour de France.
See also
In Spanish: Henri Cornet para niños
