Raymond Poulidor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Raymond Poulidor

Poulidor at the 1966 Tour de France
Personal information
Full name	Raymond Poulidor
Nickname	Poupou The Eternal Second
Born	(1936-04-15)15 April 1936 Masbaraud-Mérignat, France
Died	13 November 2019(2019-11-13) (aged 83) Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, France
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Major wins
Grand Tours Vuelta a España General classification (1964) 4 individual stages Tour de France 7 individual stages Stage races Critérium International (1964, 1966, 1968, 1971–72) Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (1966, 1969) Paris–Nice (1972–73) One-day races and Classics Milan–San Remo (1961) La Flèche Wallonne (1963) Grand Prix des Nations (1963)

Raymond Poulidor (born April 15, 1936 – died November 13, 2019) was a famous French professional cyclist. People often called him "Pou-Pou". He rode for the Mercier team for his whole career.

Raymond Poulidor was known as "The Eternal Second". This was because he never won the famous Tour de France race. But he finished second three times and third five times! He even got third place in his last Tour when he was 40 years old. Even though he was very good, he never wore the yellow jersey. The yellow jersey is worn by the leader of the Tour de France. He rode in 14 Tours and finished 12 of them. He did win one big race, the 1964 Vuelta a España. Out of 18 major races he entered, he finished in the top 10 fifteen times.

Early Life and First Rides

Raymond Poulidor grew up on a small farm in France. His parents, Martial and Maria, were farmers. The land was not very rich, so they had to work very hard. Raymond left school at 14 to help on the farm.

When he was 14, a local shop owner gave him his first bike. He started racing when he was 16. He got interested in cycling from a magazine called Miroir-Sprint. His mother was worried about him getting hurt, so he kept his cycling a secret at first.

In 1955, Raymond joined the army. He went to Algeria and worked as a driver. He gained some weight because he couldn't exercise much. In 1960, he started cycling again and quickly lost the weight. He won his first race after the army by six minutes! He realized he could earn more money cycling than farming.

Becoming a Pro Cyclist

Poulidor became a professional cyclist in 1960. He joined the Mercier team. A former Tour winner, Antonin Magne, was in charge of the team.

Winning Big Races

In only his second year as a pro, Poulidor won Milan–San Remo. This is one of cycling's "monument classics" – a very important one-day race. He had a flat tire and was far behind, but his manager told him to keep going. He caught up and attacked on the final climb. Even though a police officer sent him the wrong way at the end, he still won by three seconds! In 1961, he also became the French road race champion.

The Rivalry with Anquetil

Poulidor racing in the 1966 Tour de France

Raymond Poulidor had a famous rivalry with another great cyclist, Jacques Anquetil. Poulidor was good at climbing hills. But Anquetil was much better at individual time trials. These are races where cyclists ride alone against the clock. Anquetil often won the Tour de France by gaining time in these stages.

Poulidor liked to attack and ride aggressively. Anquetil preferred to control the race and win time in time trials. Poulidor became very popular with the French public. People loved him because he was seen as the underdog. Anquetil was not as popular.

Their most famous battle was in the 1964 Tour de France. They were racing up a tough mountain called the Puy de Dôme. They rode side-by-side, both very tired. Poulidor gained some time, but Anquetil still won the Tour by 55 seconds. Anquetil won his last Tour de France that year.

Why People Loved "Poupou"

Even though Anquetil always beat Poulidor in the Tour de France, Poulidor was more popular. He once said, "The more unlucky I was, the more the public liked me and the more money I earned." People saw him as a symbol of hard work and never giving up.

His nickname was "Poupou." It came from the daily newspaper L'Humanité. The name became very popular across France.

Facing Eddy Merckx

Poulidor at the 1976 Tour de France

After Anquetil retired, Poulidor had a chance to win the Tour de France. But then another amazing cyclist, Eddy Merckx, arrived in 1969. Merckx was incredibly strong, and Poulidor couldn't beat him either.

In the 1973 Tour de France, Poulidor had a scary moment. He fell into a ravine while going down a mountain. He hit his head badly but managed to crawl out. The race director helped him.

A Helping Hand

In 1970, a new person joined Poulidor's team. His name was Bernard Sainz, and he called himself a homeopath. Sainz helped Poulidor find new motivation. In 1971, Poulidor decided he didn't want to race anymore. But Sainz helped him change his mind.

In the Paris–Nice race that year, Poulidor was 22 seconds behind Eddy Merckx on the last day. Poulidor attacked from the start and set a speed record. He won Paris–Nice by just two seconds! The next year, he won Paris–Nice again and also the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.

Life After Racing

Poulidor at the 2004 Tour de France

Raymond Poulidor retired from racing. He later said that he didn't have enough ambition to win the Tour de France. He was happy with his achievements. He said, "I never thought of winning. Never, ever, did I get up in the morning with the idea of winning!"

In 1973, he received a special honor from France. He was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. Later, in 2003, the President of France, Jacques Chirac, gave him an even higher award. There is even a rose named after him because he loved gardening.

He lived with his wife, Gisèle, in a town called Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat. Their daughter, Corinne, married a famous cyclist named Adri van der Poel. Raymond's grandsons, David and Mathieu, are also professional cyclists. Mathieu van der Poel has won many world championships in cyclo-cross. He has also won big road races like the Tour of Flanders. In the 2021 Tour de France, Mathieu won a stage and wore the yellow jersey. He dedicated his win to his grandfather.

Poulidor worked in public relations for a bank that sponsored the yellow jersey in the Tour de France. He also had bicycles made under his name. He wrote several books about his life.

Raymond Poulidor passed away on November 13, 2019, at the age of 83. He had been in the hospital for heart problems.

Career Achievements

Major Results

Grand Tour Results Timeline

Grand Tour	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976
Vuelta a España	—	—	1	2	—	8	—	—	—	9	—	—	—	—	—
Giro d'Italia	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Tour de France	3	8	2	2	3	9	DNF	3	7	—	3	DNF	2	19	3

See also

In Spanish: Raymond Poulidor para niños