Jacques Anquetil facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jacques Anquetil

Anquetil at the 1966 Giro d'Italia
Personal information
Full name	Jacques Anquetil
Nickname	Monsieur Chrono Maître Jacques
Born	(1934-01-08)8 January 1934 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
Died	18 November 1987(1987-11-18) (aged 53) Rouen, France
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Weight	70 kg (154 lb; 11 st 0 lb)
Team information
Discipline	Road and track
Role	Rider
Rider type	All-rounder
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France General classification (1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964) 16 individual stages Giro d'Italia General classification (1960, 1964) 5 individual stages Vuelta a España General classification (1963) 1 individual stage Stage races Paris–Nice (1957, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966) Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (1963, 1965) Critérium National de la Route (1963, 1965) Volta a Catalunya (1967) Tour of the Basque Country (1969) Four Days of Dunkirk (1958, 1959) One-day races and Classics Gent–Wevelgem (1964) Bordeaux–Paris (1965) Liège–Bastogne–Liège (1966) Critérium National de la Route (1961, 1967) Other Hour record (1956) Super Prestige Pernod International (1961, 1963, 1965, 1966) Grand Prix des Nations (1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1965, 1966)

Jacques Anquetil (born 8 January 1934 – died 18 November 1987) was a famous French road racing cyclist. He was the first cyclist ever to win the Tour de France five times! He won in 1957, and then four more times in a row from 1961 to 1964.

Before the 1961 Tour de France, Jacques Anquetil made a bold promise. He said he would get the yellow jersey on the very first day and wear it for the entire race. This was a huge challenge, especially with two past winners, Charly Gaul and Federico Bahamontes, also competing. But he did it! His amazing wins in big races like the Tour de France were thanks to his special skill in individual time trial stages. In these races, cyclists ride alone against the clock. This talent earned him the nickname "Monsieur Chrono" (Mr. Time).

He won eight Grand Tours during his career. This was a record when he retired. Only Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault have won more since then.

Early Life and First Bikes

Jacques Anquetil was born on 8 January 1934 in Normandy, France. He got his first bike from his dad when he was just four years old. When Jacques was seven, his family moved to a strawberry farm. He went to school there and was very good at math.

When Jacques was 11, his second bike became too small. His dad couldn't afford a new one. So, Jacques convinced his dad to let him work on the strawberry fields. He earned enough money to buy his own Stella bicycle.

At 14, he went to a technical college in Sotteville-lès-Rouen to learn metalwork. There, he met Maurice Dieulois, who raced bikes as a hobby. Maurice's dad was the head of a local cycling club. This is how Jacques got into bike racing. He joined the club in 1950. His coach, André Boucher, saw his talent. Boucher gave Jacques two bikes, one for training and one for races. He also provided free tires and bike repairs. Jacques soon decided to focus on cycling as his career.

Professional Cycling Career

In 1953, a former professional cyclist named Francis Pélissier offered Jacques Anquetil a contract. This was for a race called the Grand Prix des Nations in September. This race was known as the most important time trial event in the world. It was often called the "unofficial world championship" for time trial riders.

Anquetil, who was only 19, won the time trial by almost seven minutes! He was very close to beating a track record set two years earlier. This victory made him an instant star in sports news. The director of the Tour de France, Jacques Goddet, even wrote an article about him called "When the Child Champion was Born."

The old Parc des Princes in Paris, where the Grand Prix des Nations time trial race used to finish. Anquetil won this race a record nine times.

Three weeks later, Anquetil won another race in Switzerland. In 1957, at 23, he became the youngest Tour de France winner since World War II.

Anquetil doing a lap of honor after winning the 1957 Tour de France.

He then became the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times. Anquetil was excellent at riding time trials, which helped him win many big races. He also won the Giro d'Italia in 1960 and 1964. In 1963, he won the Vuelta a España. This made him the first cyclist to win all three of cycling's "Grand Tours." In 1956, he set a new hour record by riding 46.159 kilometers in one hour.

Life After Racing

After he stopped professional cycling, Jacques Anquetil spent most of his time working on his farm. He also owned other properties and a gravel pit. He worked as a race director for events like Paris–Nice. Anquetil also wrote articles for the L'Equipe sports newspaper. He was a commentator for races on both radio and television. He also helped manage the French national cycling team until shortly before he passed away.

Riding Style

Jacques Anquetil was known for his smooth and beautiful riding style. He looked very graceful on his bike. His arms and legs were stretched out more than was common for riders in his time. He was one of the first riders to use big gears, which meant he pedaled slower but with more power. While others struggled to keep up, Anquetil seemed to glide effortlessly.

Personal Life and Family

The château (large country house) formerly owned by Anquetil near Rouen.

Anquetil's grave in Quincampoix.

In 1957, Jacques Anquetil began a relationship with Jeanine Boëda. They had known each other for several years. Jeanine's two children moved in with them two years later. Jeanine often went with Anquetil to his races, which was unusual for a partner at that time. They got married on 22 December 1958. In 1967, Anquetil bought a large country house (a château) near his farm. He continued racing for two more years to help pay for it.

After he retired from cycling, Anquetil really wanted to have a child of his own. Their daughter, Sophie, was born in 1971. Jacques and Jeanine were married for 12 more happy years after Sophie was born. They divorced in September 1987.

Illness and Death

Jacques Anquetil was diagnosed with a serious form of stomach cancer on 25 May 1987. He waited to get treatment so he could finish his commentating duties over the summer. On 11 August, he had surgery to remove his stomach. He passed away on 18 November 1987, at a clinic in Rouen, with his daughter Sophie by his side.

Legacy

The 1997 Tour de France honored Jacques Anquetil. This was 40 years after his first Tour victory and ten years after his death. The race started near Rouen, his hometown. A ceremony was held at his grave, and a pier in Quincampoix was renamed Quai Anquetil in his memory.

Career Achievements

Major Results

General Classification Results Timeline

Grand Tour general classification results timeline
Grand Tour	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969
Vuelta a España	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	DNF	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Giro d'Italia	–	–	–	–	–	2	1	2	–	–	1	–	3	3	–	–
Tour de France	–	–	–	1	DNF	3	–	1	1	1	1	–	DNF	–	–	–
Major Stage Race General Classification Results
Race	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969
Giro di Sardegna	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	11	—	4	1	7	—	DNF
Paris–Nice	7	—	—	1	10	11	DNF	1	DNF	1	6	1	1	16	10	3
Critérium National de la Route	9	—	—	7	—	5	3	1	—	1	DNF	1	—	1	—	11
Tour of the Basque Country	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1
Four Days of Dunkirk	—	—	—	—	1	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	12	—	—	—
Tour de Romandie	—	—	—	—	—	—	8	10	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré	—	15	—	—	—	—	—	—	12	1	—	1	—	—	—	4
Grand Prix du Midi Libre	—	—	9	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	14	—	—	—	—
Volta a Catalunya	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	1	—	—

Monuments Results Timeline

World Records

Awards and Honors

• BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year: 1963
• National Order of the Legion of Honour (France): 1966

Images for kids

• 

  The Velodromo Vigorelli in Milan, where Anquetil set his hour record.

• 

  Charly Gaul (right) beat Anquetil (left) into second place at the 1959 Giro d'Italia.

• 

  Anquetil (centre) climbing during the 1960 Giro d'Italia alongside Jos Hoevenaers, Gastone Nencini, and Charly Gaul (from left to right).

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  Anquetil talking to Piet van Est during the 1961 Tour de France.

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  Anquetil with his Saint-Raphaël teammates Ab Geldermans (left) and Mies Stolker (right) at the 1962 Tour de France.

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  Anquetil (right) with teammates Shay Elliott and Jean Stablinski at the 1963 Tour de France.

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  Vittorio Adorni, Italo Zilioli, and Anquetil (from left to right) at the 1964 Giro d'Italia.

• 

  Anquetil at the 1964 Tour de France.

• 

  Anquetil and his close friend and teammate Jean Stablinski (right) at the Tour of the Netherlands in 1965.

• 

  Anquetil and Felice Gimondi (right) at the 1966 Giro d'Italia.

• 

  Anquetil (right) with eventual race winner Lucien Aimar at the 1966 Tour de France.

• 

  Anquetil in the pink jersey ahead of stage 21 of the 1967 Giro d'Italia, the last time he wore a leader's jersey at a Grand Tour.

• 

  Raymond Poulidor, Anquetil, and Federico Bahamontes (from left to right) on the podium of the 1964 Tour de France.

See also

In Spanish: Jacques Anquetil para niños