Fabien Le Floc’h, media365: published on Tuesday 06 May 2025 at 10:40 am
Faithful teammate of Raymond Poulidor during the 1960s, André Foucher died at the age of 91 last weekend.
André Foucher died at the age of 91, last weekend in his native Mayenne. If he was not the best known cyclist of the 1960s, he was very estimated by the best runners of his generation, starting with Raymond Poulidor. A farmer in his youth, André Foucher sees his destiny change thanks to his talent on a bicycle. French amateur champion in 1959the native of spoon passes in 1960 and will remain eight years in the peloton, at a time when cycling has little to do with that of today. But during this period, Foucher will not miss any Tour de France, despite his abandonment from his first participation in 1960, after a fall which had forced him to be evacuated as a helicopter.
Almost 50 years of career
André Foucher, known for his tenacity and his ability to suffer, finished Sixth in the Tour de France 1964its best performance on the big loop. He was a particularly appreciated model teammate of Henry Anglade, Jan Janssen, then finally by Raymond Poulidor (from 1967 in the Mercier team, editor’s note), contributing to many successes of his leaders. A good climber, he also won the Grand Prix du Midi Libre twice (1964 and 1965) and participated in seven world championships (on the road and in cyclo-cross).
But André Foucher’s career is not limited to these eight years of professionalism. The Mayennais has indeed had an exceptional longevity on a bicycle, since he ran for almost half a century. After his beginnings with young people in 1948, he stopped races until 1994. Returned among amateurs after the end of his professional career in 1968, André Foucher won many successes until the late 1970s.
