for better and for worse

The Tour de France returns in 2025 to Seine-Maritimewith an arrival in Rouen for the fourth stage. A look back at the rich history of Seinomarine cyclists with the Grande Boucle.

Jacques Anquetil aka Maître Jacques

Born in 1934 in Mont-Saint-Aignan. Died in 1987 in Rouen.

He is undoubtedly the most emblematic Normandy cyclist. Nicknamed Maître Jacques, he left his mark on cycling history in the 1960s. Taking part in the Tour eight times, he is the first rider in history to win the event five times.

First winner in 1957 for his first participation, he added four titles in a row to his record between 1961 and 1964, achieving the feat of wearing the yellow jersey for the entire 61 edition. His historic rivalry with Raymond Poulidor has finished classifying him as a legend of his sport.

Paul Duboc and the poisoned can

Born in 1884 in Rouen. Died in 1941 in Paris.

He could have been the first Norman winner in the history of the Tour but that was without taking into account competition ready to do anything to prevent him. In 1911, Paul Duboc participated in his third Tour de France. The Rouennais is second in the general classification at the start of the queen and decisive stage between Luchon and Bayonne. In the Col de l'Aubisque, he outdistanced his direct competitors for the final victory and went to collect the yellow jersey. It was then that he suffered terrible vomiting which forced him to dismount. He barely completed the stage, several hours behind the winner.

Later, we learned that he was the victim of poisoning, after drinking from a can handed out by a spectator at the side of the road. He finished second in the Tour that year. In ten participations between 1908 and 1927, he never won the Grande Boucle.

Paul Poulingue trapped at the bar

Born in 1933 in Mailleraye-sur-Seine. Died in 2017 in Bois-Guillaume.

He is an amateur cyclist at the Véloce Club in Rouen who decided to live his dream. In 1957, he turned professional with the sole aim of participating in the Tour de France and took the start of the biggest cycling race in the world. During the stage between Caen and Rouen, the Norman stopped at a bar near Elbeuf to hydrate, a common practice at the time. In the company of fellow runners, he goes down to the cellar to look for bottles but the manager, not having seen the runners enter, closes the trap door on them. The unfortunate people will remain stuck for several minutes before the boss realizes his blunder. We will remember less the final ranking of Paul Poulingue (48th) than his unusual adventure.

Philippe Bouvatier on the wrong road

Born in 1964 and died in 2023 in Rouen.

The talented rider from Rouen has won numerous amateur titles and notably participated in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984. Four years later, he believes he has his very first stage victory in the Tour de France. Alone in the lead in the final climb between Blagnac and Guzet-Neige, victory beckoned to him when he was the victim of a switch error 200m from the finish on the part of an organizer. When he crossed the finish line after finally finding his way, two runners passed him in front. He was declared the “moral winner” of the stage, a very small consolation for someone who will never raise his arms on the Tour, despite four participations.

Bruno Thibout, forever the first

Born in 1969 in Neufchâtel-en-Bray.

The 1995 Tour de France was remembered for the fatal fall of the Italian Fabio Casartelli on the descent of the Col de Portet-d'Aspet, during the 15th stage. A tragic event which legitimately overshadowed Bruno Thibout, who received a symbolic trophy some time previously during the junction between Alençon and Le Havre. The Norman had crossed alone in the lead the brand new Normandy bridge, which hosted his first cycling race that year. Since his retirement from sports, Bruno Thibout has been on the Tour de France roads as a following biker and has covered more than twenty of them.

The hopefuls Matïs Louvel and Hugo Toumire

Born respectively in 1999 in Mont-Saint-Aignan and in 2001 in Rouen.

Matïs Louvel and Hugo Toumire both went through the Vélo Club de Catenay. The first experienced two Tour de France with the French team Arkéa-Samsic (74th in 2022 and 65th in 2023) before missing the 2024 edition due to a knee injury. He hopes to participate in the 2025 Tour with his new team Israel Premier Tech.

Hugo Toumire showed excellent results in junior races and signed his first professional contract with the French team Cofidis in 2022. He participated in the Tour of Italy in 2023 and has high hopes of participating in the Tour de France 2025 .

But also…

Roger Queugnet (1923-2020), began a football career at FC Rouen before taking up cycling. Following this unexpected reconversion, he participated in two Tour de France in 1950 and 1951, without however managing to reach Paris.

Jean-Claude Lebaube (1937-1977), a member of the Véloce Club de Rouen, took part in seven Tour de France in the 1960s with the best result being an honorable 4th place in 1963.

Jean Jourden (1942-2024) cut his teeth at AC Sotteville where he demonstrated undeniable talent. He won numerous races before becoming amateur world champion in 1961. His career was then hampered by pleurisy, which did not, however, prevent him from participating in the 1968 and 1969 Tour de France.

Alexis Gougeard was born in 1993 in Rouen. He participates in three Tour de France with the AG2R teams (2016 and 2019) and B&B Hôtel (2022) before joining the Cofidis team in which he has been playing since 2023.

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