Louis Trousselier facts for kids
 |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Louis Trousselier | ||
| Nickname | Levaloy Trou-trou |
||
| Born | 29 June 1881 Paris, France |
||
| Died | 24 April 1939 (aged 57) Paris, France |
||
| Team information | |||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Major wins | |||
|
|||
Louis Trousselier (born in 1881, died in 1939) was a famous French bicycle racer. He won the Tour de France in 1905, which is one of the biggest cycling races in the world! He also won other important races like Paris–Roubaix in 1905 and Bordeaux–Paris in 1908. Over his career, he won 13 individual stages of the Tour de France. Louis also earned a bronze medal in cycling at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Contents
About Louis Trousselier
Louis Trousselier was born in Paris, France, on June 29, 1881. His friends often called him "Trou-Trou." His family was quite wealthy and owned a flower business in Paris. Because of this, Henri Desgrange, who first organized the Tour de France, sometimes called Louis "the florist" to help people remember him.
Louis had two brothers, Léopold and André, who were also cyclists.
After competing in the 1900 Summer Olympics, Louis became a professional cyclist. This means he raced bikes for a living. His first professional race was in late 1900.
Early Races and Disqualification
In 1903, Louis Trousselier rode in the Bordeaux–Paris race. This was his first very long race. He finished in second place, right behind another famous rider, Hippolyte Aucouturier. However, a few days later, Louis was disqualified. This happened because he had gotten help by riding behind a car during the race.
When the newspaper that organized Bordeaux–Paris later started the very first Tour de France that same year, Louis was still banned from racing.
Winning the Tour de France
Louis Trousselier rode his first Tour de France in 1905. He was a soldier at the time and took a few days off to race. He hoped to do well so he wouldn't get into trouble for being away too long!
He was amazing in the 1905 race, winning five stages. A stage is one part of the race, usually a day's ride. He completed the entire 3,021 kilometer (about 1,877 miles) race in just over 110 hours. He won the race by a large margin.
Winning the Tour de France brought him many prizes and contracts to race all over France. He also got a bonus from his sponsor. But on the night he won, he gambled away all his winnings playing dice with friends in Paris!
Louis is said to have joked, "There's always another Tour to win it back again." Even though he never won the Tour de France again, he was right about one thing: the army did forgive him for being late back from his leave.
Later Career and Personality
Louis rode well in the 1906 Tour de France, finishing third overall and winning four stages. He became known as a specialist in long-distance races. In 1908, he won the Bordeaux–Paris race again, finishing 26 minutes ahead of the next rider. He also came second twice and third once in this race.
He stopped racing just before World War I began. After that, he took over his family's flower business.
Louis Trousselier was known for being a fun person and loved playing practical jokes. He would often train with friends and then stop at the most expensive restaurant they could find. Towards the end of their meal, they would start a fake argument about who was the best rider. When the restaurant owner came to see what was happening, they would invite him to settle the argument with a race. The owner would pick a landmark a few kilometers away, and the riders would race there and back. The last one to return would pay the bill. The owner would send them off on their race, but Louis and his friends would never come back!
Career Highlights
Louis Trousselier had many important wins during his cycling career:
- 1905:
- Tour de France – He won the overall race and 5 stages!
- Paris–Roubaix
- Paris–Valenciennes
- Brussels–Roubaix
- 1906:
- Tour de France – He finished 3rd overall and won 4 stages.
- 1907:
- Tour de France – He won 2 stages.
- 1908:
- Bordeaux–Paris
- 1909:
- Tour de France – He won 1 stage.
- 1910:
- Tour de France – He won 1 stage.
Death
Louis Trousselier passed away on April 24, 1939, in Paris.
See also
In Spanish: Louis Trousselier para niños
