the eternal icon of French Cycling through archive images

Before becoming the darling of the French, affectionately nicknamed “Poupou”, Raymond Poulidor was just a young hopeful from Limousin, pedaling with passion on the country roads. A look back at the beginnings of a man who would write some of the most beautiful pages of Cycling, becoming a legend of the Tour de France. This is one of the strong images of our NoA Histoire meeting dedicated to cycling, a popular history, on the roads of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Raymond Poulidor, son of the land. Born in Creuse, raised in Haute-Vienne, he grew up far from privileges, forged by the rigor of the fields and an innate taste for challenge. It was his brothers, André and Henry, who passed on to him the passion for cycling. On a bike borrowed from his mother, he trained in secret, riding the stony paths of his village, where the legend was born.

At 18, life changed. Raymond Poulidor won his first victory at the Grand Prix Quasimodo, in Saint-Léonard de Noblat. This success, far from being insignificant, opened a new page in his life, that of a meteoric rise that would never stop. Limousin, the land of cycling par excellence, saw the birth of a star.

Still an amateur, Poulidor received an invitation to participate in the Bol d’Or des Monédières, in Corrèze. This race, organized by the accordionist Jean Ségurel, was already an unmissable event in cycling. On these winding and demanding roads, the young Poulidor measured himself against the great names of the time, including Louison Bobet, the future winner of the event. If victory eluded him, Raymond’s talent escaped no one.

Military service could have broken his momentum, but that is to underestimate the determination of the young Limousin. Back in the amateur peloton, Poulidor made sparks. His performances caught the eye of the great Antonin Magne, double winner of the Tour de France, who integrated him into the Mercier team in 1960. A judicious choice that would prove decisive for the rest of his career.

It was under the emblematic colours of the Mercier team, in purple and gold, that Raymond Poulidor achieved his first great feat. It was 1961, on the Italian roads of Milan-San Remo. On the Poggio, this dreaded climb, Poulidor pulled away, opened up a three-second gap on the peloton and raised his arms as the winner. That day, a legend was born.

This Italian triumph is only the beginning. Raymond Poulidor is about to write a story made up of 189 professional victories, countless podiums, and a popularity that has never waned, despite the nickname of“eternal second” that will stick to his skin. Yet, for millions of fans, he will always remain first in their hearts.

Since his death in November 2019, it is his grandson, Mathieu Van der Poel, who has perpetuated this exceptional legacy, braving, in turn, the roads of the Tour de France. The Poulidor dynasty continues, and with it, the indomitable spirit of “Poupou”.

We leaf through the album of memories of cycling from all eras thanks to amateur films, and in particular sequences with the icon Poulidor in our NOA HISTOIRE meeting “Cycling, a popular history” broadcast on NOA on 09/28 at 8:40 p.m. and on the FRANCE.TV platform.