Anquetil and Poulidor

[Steve McGinty]

I've never seen this story before

"Anquetil is dead, of cancer, and no one remembers him more fondly than Poulidor. On Anquetil's
death bed the two old rivals spoke. 'He said to me that the cancer was so agonisingly painful it was
as bad as racing up the Puy de Dome all day, every hour of the day. He then said, I will never
forget it, "My friend, you will come second to me once again".

from

http://www.observer.co.uk/osm/story/0,6903,966184,00.html

(preview of TdF in UK national newspaper - mainly the usual stuff on Christophe's forks,
"Assassins!" etc)

Regards! Stephen

 

[J999w]

>I've never seen this story before
>
>"Anquetil is dead, of cancer, and no one remembers him more fondly than Poulidor. On Anquetil's
>death bed the two old rivals spoke. 'He said to me that the cancer was so agonisingly painful it
>was as bad as racing up the Puy de Dome all day, every hour of the day. He then said, I will never
>forget it, "My friend, you will come second to me once again".
>

That's good.

He was actually dropping out of the race!

jw milwaukee

 

[Benjo Maso]

"Steve McGinty" <stephenmcginty@ntlworld_DOT_.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've never seen this story before
>
> "Anquetil is dead, of cancer, and no one remembers him more fondly than Poulidor. On Anquetil's
> death bed the two old rivals spoke. 'He said to me that the cancer was so agonisingly painful it
> was as bad as racing up the Puy de Dome all day, every hour of the day. He then said, I will never
> forget it, "My friend, you will come second to me once again".

It's an old story. The funny thing is that is now confirmed by Poulidor himself. I remember an
interview, not long after A.'s death in which Poulidor denied it. In bicycling racing legends have
always been much stronger than reality.

>
> from
>
> http://www.observer.co.uk/osm/story/0,6903,966184,00.html
>
> (preview of TdF in UK national newspaper - mainly the usual stuff on Christophe's forks,
> "Assassins!" etc)

... another proof that legends are stronger than reality. That day in the Pyrenees Lapize never said
"assassins". It's a story cooked up much later, but since then repeated so many times that the truth
doesn't stand a ghost of a chance anymore.

Benjo Maso

 

[Bruce Johnston]

I saw Poulidor in 76 Paris Roubaix where at 40 he kept up with the likes of Da Vlaeminck who set a
blistering pace. Pretty impressive at 40 to ride in a race as hard as Paris Roubaix.

Bruce
------------------
"Steve McGinty" <stephenmcginty@ntlworld_DOT_.com> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I've never seen this story before
>
> "Anquetil is dead, of cancer, and no one remembers him more fondly than Poulidor. On Anquetil's
> death bed the two old rivals spoke. 'He said to me that the cancer was so agonisingly painful it
> was as bad as racing up the Puy de Dome all day, every hour of the day. He then said, I will never
> forget it, "My friend, you will come second to me once again".
>
> from
>
> http://www.observer.co.uk/osm/story/0,6903,966184,00.html
>
> (preview of TdF in UK national newspaper - mainly the usual stuff on Christophe's forks,
> "Assassins!" etc)
>
> Regards! Stephen

 

[Steve McGinty]

>> "Anquetil is dead, of cancer, and no one remembers him more fondly than Poulidor. On Anquetil's
>> death bed the two old rivals spoke. 'He said to me that the cancer was so agonisingly painful it
>> was as bad as racing up the Puy de Dome all day, every hour of the day. He then said, I will
>> never forget it, "My friend, you will come second to me once again".
>
>
>It's an old story. The funny thing is that is now confirmed by Poulidor himself. I remember an
>interview, not long after A.'s death in which Poulidor denied it. In bicycling racing legends have
>always been much stronger than reality.
>
>
As the article was a cobbled together hotch-potch of tour folklore I suspect the author has gone
with the legend - to do otherwise would spoil a good story.

Regards! Stephen

 

[Dick Durbin]

Steve McGinty <stephenmcginty@ntlworld_DOT_.com> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...

> He then said, I will never forget it, "My friend, you will come second to me once again".

If he didn't say it, he should have. I recall JA already looking like he was dead after getting off
the bike at the end of some time trials.

**** Durbin