Jean Robic facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jean Robic

Robic at the 1947 Tour de France
Personal information
Nickname	Biquet (Kid goat) Tête de cuir (Leather-head) Le farfadet de la lande Bretonne Gueule cassée
Born	(1921-06-10)10 June 1921 Vouziers, France
Died	6 October 1980(1980-10-06) (aged 59) Claye-Souilly, France
Height	1.61 m
Weight	60 kg
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Climber
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France General classification (1947) 6 stages

Jean Robic (born June 10, 1921 – died October 6, 1980) was a famous French bicycle racer. He won the 1947 Tour de France, which is one of the biggest cycling races in the world! Robic was a professional cyclist from 1943 to 1961. He was quite small, only 1.61 meters (about 5 feet 3 inches) tall and weighed 60 kg (about 132 pounds). Because of his size, people called him Biquet, which means Kid goat.

To go faster downhill, he sometimes put heavy things like lead or mercury in his water bottles. This extra weight helped him pick up speed. After he broke his skull in a fall in 1944, he always wore a special leather crash helmet. This helmet became his well-known trademark.

Jean Robic's Early Life

Jean Robic is often called a Breton, which means he was from the Brittany region of France. However, he was actually born in a different part of France called the Ardennes. His father was a carpenter who had moved there for work.

Robic always joked that he was born in the Ardennes "by mistake." His family had lived in Brittany before he was born. Jean's father was also a bicycle racer, and he shared his love for cycling with his son. When Jean was seven, his family moved back to Brittany, to a town called Radenac. Today, the street where he grew up is named after him.

In February 1940, Robic moved to Paris and started working as a bike mechanic. He began racing, but at first, he didn't impress anyone. A journalist named René de Latour once wrote that no one would have believed this skinny 17-year-old would become a Tour de France winner. People even called him le farfadet de la lande bretonne, meaning "the hobgoblin of the Brittany moor."

Starting His Cycling Career

When World War II began in 1939, it made bicycle racing in France very difficult. But Jean Robic kept riding. He competed in cyclo-cross races, which are off-road races, and also in the big road races that were still happening.

He became a professional cyclist in 1943. The next year, he had a bad fall during a race called Paris–Roubaix. He broke his skull, but he still managed to finish the race! After this accident, he started wearing his famous leather crash helmet all the time. This helmet earned him another nickname: tête de cuir, or "leather-head."

Winning the Tour de France

The Tour de France race started again after the war. Jean Robic, who was not very well known at the time, was chosen to be on the team for northwest France, mostly made up of riders from Brittany. Before the race, journalists didn't think he would do well.

Robic had just gotten married to his wife, Raymonde. He promised her he would bring her the Tour's yellow jersey as a wedding gift. The yellow jersey is worn by the leader of the race.

The Race Begins

The first stage of the 1947 Tour de France went from Paris to Lille. Robic finished ninth, a couple of minutes behind the winner. On the fourth day, he won the stage from Luxembourg to Strasbourg. He then rode very well through the Alps mountains.

Even after his stage win, many journalists still didn't think Robic could win the whole Tour. They thought he wasn't consistent enough. But Robic kept going strong.

Conquering the Mountains

After the Alps, the Tour had some easier stages along the Mediterranean coast. This gave Robic a chance to rest. Then came the tough Pyrenees mountains. Robic rode incredibly well there. He was the first to cross famous mountain passes like the Aubisque, Tourmalet, and Peyresourde.

The time he gained in the mountains moved him up to fifth place overall. After a long time trial (a race against the clock), he moved up to third place.

The Final Stage Victory

The most exciting part of the race was on the very last day, from Caen to Paris. The leader of the race was a rider named Pierre Brambilla. Usually, the race leader is allowed to ride into Paris unchallenged on the final day. But Robic had other plans!

About halfway through the stage, on a two-kilometer hill outside Rouen, Robic attacked. This means he suddenly rode much faster to try and get away from the other riders. Another French rider, Édouard Fachleitner, went with him. Brambilla tried to follow, but he got sick from the effort and couldn't keep up.

The main group of riders didn't chase right away. This gave Robic and Fachleitner a big advantage. Robic and Fachleitner worked together. Robic even offered Fachleitner money to help him, promising him second place. Fachleitner agreed.

Robic, who had never led the race before, reached the finish line in Paris at the Parc des Princes a huge 13 minutes ahead of Brambilla! The stage was so fast that it finished an hour earlier than expected. It's said that Brambilla was so upset he buried his bike in his garden. Robic, on the other hand, gave his yellow jersey to a church in Sainte-Anne-d'Auray to show his thanks.

Even though Robic won the Tour, he wasn't the fastest rider overall. Fachleitner had actually spent less time riding the entire Tour. But Robic won because he earned extra time bonuses during the mountain stages in the Pyrenees. These bonuses made all the difference!

Other Important Wins

Besides the Tour de France, Jean Robic had many other great wins:

• In 1950, he won the Roma-Napoli-Roma race.
• Also in 1950, he became the world champion in cyclo-cross.
• In 1952, he won the Tour de Haute-Savoie and the Polymultipliée races.

Jean Robic's Personality

Jean Robic was known for his strong personality. He was one of the shortest riders, which is why he sometimes put lead or mercury in his water bottles to go faster downhill. He had blond curly hair and a distinctive face. He also wore a ring that said kenbeo kenmaro, which means "to life, to death" in Breton.

Robic was sometimes described as having a quick temper. He didn't always make friends easily. In 1959, he was removed from the Tour de France because he finished a stage too slowly. Even though he was a former winner, his personality might have played a role in the judges' decision.

He was also very smart about using the rules to his advantage. He loved to brag about his skills. Another cyclist, André Mahé, once said that Robic would stand in a restaurant doorway until everyone noticed him, then announce, "Oui! C'est moi—Robic!" (Yes! It's me—Robic!).

Jean Robic's Family Life

In 1943, Jean Robic met Raymonde Cornic. Her father owned a bar in Paris. Jean and Raymonde got married just four days before the 1947 Tour de France. They had three children: Jean-Lou (born 1948), Alain (born 1949), and Christine (born 1952).

Sadly, Robic's father passed away in 1945. Jean bought a house for his mother and later helped her open a small shop. Jean and Raymonde lived in a suburb called Wissous. Robic's family still lives in the area and attends events held in his memory.

After his cycling career, Robic took over the family bar.

Later Life and Passing

Jean Robic had another bad fall in the 1953 Tour de France, breaking bones in his spine. He tried to ride the Tour again in 1954, 1955, and 1959, but he couldn't finish. He continued to race in smaller local events and also went back to cyclo-cross. He rode his very last race in 1967.

After his cycling career ended, Robic found it hard to adjust to a normal life. His bar business didn't do well, and his marriage ended. He became sad and struggled to find work. He tried different jobs, like being a referee for wrestling matches. He also rode a bicycle in the Tour de France publicity parade.

Eventually, a friend helped him find work. Jean Robic died in a car accident in 1980, near Claye-Souilly. He was on his way home from a party celebrating another cyclist's Tour de France win.

A monument to Jean Robic stands on the hill outside Rouen, where he made his famous attack to win the Tour. It shows him wearing his special leather helmet. He is buried in the cemetery at Wissous. There is also a museum dedicated to him in the town hall in Radenac.

Career Achievements

Major Results

Grand Tour Results Over Time

See also

In Spanish: Jean Robic para niños