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Jacques Anquetil
Anquetil at the 1966 Giro d'Italia
Personal information
Full name Jacques Anquetil
Nickname Monsieur Chrono
Maître Jacques
Born (1934-01-08)8 January 1934
Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
Died 18 November 1987(1987-11-18) (aged 53)
Rouen, France
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9+12 in)
Weight 70 kg (154 lb; 11 st 0 lb)
Team information
Discipline Road and track
Role Rider
Rider type All-rounder
Major wins
Grand Tours
Tour de France
General classification (1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964)
16 individual stages
Giro d'Italia
General classification (1960, 1964)
5 individual stages
Vuelta a España
General classification (1963)
1 individual stage

Stage races

Paris–Nice (1957, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966)
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (1963, 1965)
Critérium National de la Route (1963, 1965)
Volta a Catalunya (1967)
Tour of the Basque Country (1969)
Four Days of Dunkirk (1958, 1959)

One-day races and Classics

Gent–Wevelgem (1964)
Bordeaux–Paris (1965)
Liège–Bastogne–Liège (1966)
Critérium National de la Route (1961, 1967)

Other

Hour record (1956)
Super Prestige Pernod International (1961, 1963, 1965, 1966)
Grand Prix des Nations (1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1965, 1966)

Jacques Anquetil ( 8 January 1934 – 18 November 1987) was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964.

He stated before the 1961 Tour that he would gain the yellow jersey on day one and wear it all through the tour, a tall order with two previous winners in the field—Charly Gaul and Federico Bahamontes—but he did it. His victories in stage races such as the Tour were built on an exceptional ability to ride alone against the clock in individual time trial stages, which lent him the name "Monsieur Chrono".

He won eight Grand Tours in his career, which was a record when he retired and has only since been surpassed by Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault.

Early life

Anquetil was born on 8 January 1934 in Normandy. He received his first bike from his father at the age of 4. When Jacques was seven, his father Ernest returned from his service in World War II and, unable to find building work except for the German occupying forces, moved with the family to Le Bourguet close to Quincampoix to become a strawberry farmer. It was here that the young Anquetil attended school, receiving good grades, particularly in mathematics. As his second bike grew to small for him, Anquetil needed a new one at the age of 11. With his father being unable to afford it, Jacques argued successfully to allow him to replace one of the workers on the strawberry fields, earning him the necessary money to buy a Stella bicycle on his own. At the age of 14, he began to attend Technical College in Rouen's southern district of Sotteville to become a metalworker. It was here that he met and befriended Maurice Dieulois, who rode amateur bike races on the weekends and whose father had been president of the local cycling club AC Sottevillais. Through him, Anquetil got into bicycle racing, signing up to the club under the tutelage of André Boucher late in the summer of 1950. Since it was too late to participate in any more races that year, he instead focussed on getting into shape for the coming season. Boucher recognized Anquetil's talent and offered him two bikes, one for training and one for races, as well as free supply of tyres, bike maintenance and a performance bonus. At the end of 1950, Anquetil gained his diploma and by the end of January 1951 had taken a job in a workshop in Sotteville, for a meager pay of 64 francs an hour. Since his employer would not allow him Thursday evening off, which the club used for training rides, he quit his position again at the beginning of March, moving back to working on his father's farm while pursuing a career in cycling.

Professional career

In 1953, Francis Pélissier, a former professional and sporting director of the La Perle team, offered Anquetil a contract in order to race in the Grand Prix des Nations in September. It was back then considered the most prestigious time trial event in the world, often described as the "unofficial world championship" for time trialists. Anquetil, still a minor, needed consent from his parents to sign the contract, which initially ran for two months from September to October 1953. He was paid 30,000 francs per month.

1932 Le parc des princes v1
The old Parc des Princes in Paris, which in Anquetil's time served as the finish of the Grand Prix des Nations, a time trial race which Anquetil won a record nine times.

Anquetil won the time trial by a margin of almost seven minutes ahead of Roger Creton. Even though still just 19 years of age, he came within 35 seconds of beating the track record set by Hugo Koblet two years earlier. The victory made Anquetil an instant sensation in the sports press, with the Tour de France director Jacques Goddet writing an article in L'Equipe titled: "When the Child Champion was Born."

Anquetil followed up his victory three weeks later with another in the Grand Prix de Lugano in Switzerland. In 1957, at 23, Anquetil became the youngest Tour winner since the end of World War II.

AnquetilTour1957 (cropped)
Anquetil doing a lap of honour in the Parc des Princes velodrome after winning the 1957 Tour de France

He then went on to become the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times. Anquetil was very good at riding time trials, and this helped him to win grand tours. He also won the Giro d'Italia in 1960 and 1964, and the Vuelta a España in 1963. This made him the first cyclist to win all three grand tours. In 1956 he rode 46.159 kilometres in one hour, setting a new hour record.

Post-retirement

After he retired from professional cycling, Anquetil spent most of his time tending to his own farm, even though it was not profitable. He also owned several properties in Cannes as well as a gravel pit in Normandy. Apart from these business endeavors, Anquetil served as race director at both Paris–Nice and the Grand Prix du Midi Libre. He wrote columns for the L'Equipe sports newspaper and worked as commentator during races, first on the radio for Europe 1 and then on television for Antenne 2. In the early 1970s, Anquetil agreed to help Richard Marillier [fr], who had been his superior in the army in Algeria, run the French national cycling team. Anquetil did not really fulfill any practical function in his position, but helped bring Marillier, who was relatively unknown in the cycling world, a greater sense of authority. Anquetil continued in this position until the 1987 UCI Road World Championships, shortly before his death.

Riding style

Anquetil was a smooth rider, a beautiful pedalling machine according to the American journalist Owen Mulholland:

The sight of Jacques Anquetil on a bicycle gives credence to an idea we Americans find unpalatable, that of a natural aristocracy. From the first day he seriously straddled a top tube, "Anq" had a sense or perfection most riders spend a lifetime searching for. Between 1950, when he rode his first race, and nineteen years later, when he retired, Anquetil had countless frames underneath him, yet that indefinable poise was always there.

The look was that of a greyhound. His arms and legs were extended more than was customary in his era of pounded post World War II roads. And the toes pointed down. Just a few years before, riders had prided their ankling motion, but Jacques was the first of the big gear school. His smooth power dictated his entire approach to the sport. Hands resting serenely on his thin Mafac brake levers, the sensation from Quincampoix, Normandy, appeared to cruise while others wriggled in desperate attempts to keep up.

Personal life and family

Château Anquetil 3
The château formerly owned by Anquetil near Rouen
Anquetil's grave at Quincampoix
Anquetil's grave in Quincampoix

In March 1957, Anquetil began romantically involved with Jeanine Boëda, seven years his senior. They had known each other for several years before the start of their relationship. Jeanine's two children, her daughter Annie and her son Alain, moved in with them two years later. Jeanine would accompany Anquetil to most of his races, at a time when it was unusual for a partner to do so. The couple married on 22 December 1958. In late 1967, Anquetil bought the château next to the farm he owned close to Rouen. He prolonged his career by two years in order to be able to pay it off.

Following his retirement from professional cycling, Anquetil had a strong desire to father a child of his own. Their daughter, Sophie, was born in 1971. The couple remained happily married for another 12 years. Anquetil and Jeanine divorced in September 1987.

Illness and death

Anquetil was diagnosed with an advanced form of stomach cancer on 25 May 1987. According to both his childhood friend Dieulois and fellow Tour winner Bernard Hinault, Anquetil waited until he received proper treatment, delaying it to fulfill commentating duties over the summer before going to hospital. On 11 August, he had his stomach removed surgically. He died on 18 November 1987, surrounded by Sophie and Dominique, at the Saint Hilaire Clinic in Rouen.

Legacy

The 1997 Tour de France paid homage to Anquetil, on the 40th anniversary of his first Tour victory and ten years after his death, by having the Grand Départ around Rouen. On the day of the first stage, a ceremony was held at his grave and a pier in Quincampoix was renamed Quai Anquetil.

Career achievements

Major results

1952
3rd Bronze medal olympic.svg Team road race, Olympic Games
8th Amateur road race, UCI Road World Championships
1953
1st Grand Prix des Nations
1st Grand Prix de Lugano
2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Antonin Rolland)
1954
1st Grand Prix des Nations
1st Grand Prix de Lugano
2nd Critérium des As
2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Louison Bobet)
5th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
7th Overall Paris–Nice
1st Stage 5
9th Critérium National de la Route
10th Overall Tour de l'Ouest
1955
1st Grand Prix des Nations
2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with André Darrigade)
6th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
9th Overall Tour du Sud-Est
1st Stage 6
1956
1st Grand Prix des Nations
2nd Silver medal uci.svg Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships
8th Critérium National de la Route
9th Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre
1957
1st Overall Tour de France
1st Stage 3a (TTT), 3b, 9, 15b (ITT) & 20 (ITT)
1st Jersey white.svg Overall Paris–Nice
1st Stage 5a (ITT)
1st Grand Prix des Nations
1st Six Days of Paris (with André Darrigade and Ferdinando Terruzzi)
4th Trofeo Baracchi (with André Darrigade)
6th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
7th Critérium National de la Route
1958
1st Jersey pink.svg Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
1st Stage 4 (ITT)
1st Grand Prix des Nations
1st Grand Prix de Lugano
2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with André Darrigade)
10th Overall Paris–Nice
1st Stage 5a
10th Milan–San Remo
1959
1st Jersey pink.svg Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
1st Stage 4 (ITT)
1st Critérium des As
2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
1st Stages 2 (ITT) & 19 (ITT)
1st Grand Prix de Lugano
3rd Overall Tour de France
3rd Gent–Wevelgem
3rd Trofeo Baracchi (with André Darrigade)
5th Critérium National de la Route
9th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
1960
1st Overall Giro d'Italia
1st Stage 9b (ITT) & 14 (ITT)
1st Critérium des As
1st Grand Prix de Lugano
3rd Critérium National de la Route
8th Paris–Roubaix
8th Overall Tour de Romandie
1st Stage 4b (ITT)
9th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
1961
1st Overall Tour de France
1st Stages 1b (ITT) & 19 (ITT)
1st Jersey white.svg Overall Paris–Nice
1st Stage 6a (ITT)
1st Overall Super Prestige Pernod International
1st Critérium National de la Route
1st Grand Prix des Nations
1st Grand Prix de Lugano
2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
1st Stage 9 (ITT)
3rd Mont Faron hill climb
4th Critérium des As
6th La Flèche Wallonne
10th Overall Tour de Romandie
1st Stage 2b (ITT)
1962
1st Overall Tour de France
1st Stages 8b (ITT) & 20 (ITT)
1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Rudi Altig)
9th Critérium des As
1963
1st Overall Tour de France
1st Stage 6b (ITT), 10, 17 & 19 (ITT)
1st Overall Vuelta a España
1st Stage 1b (ITT)
1st Jersey white.svg Overall Paris–Nice
1st Stage 6a (ITT)
1st Jersey yellow-bluebar.svg Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
1st Stage 6a (ITT)
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Critérium National de la Route
1st Stage 3 (ITT)
1st Overall Super Prestige Pernod International
1st Critérium des As
2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Raymond Poulidor)
1964
1st Overall Tour de France
1st Stage 9, 10b (ITT), 17 (ITT) & 22b (ITT)
1st Overall Giro d'Italia
1st Stage 5 (ITT)
1st Gent–Wevelgem
1st Stage 1 Critérium National de la Route
3rd Overall Super Prestige Pernod International
3rd Critérium des As
6th Overall Paris–Nice
1st Stage 3 (ITT)
7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
1965
1st Jersey white.svg Overall Paris–Nice
1st Bordeaux–Paris
1st Jersey yellow-bluebar.svg Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
1st Stages 3, 5 & 7b (ITT)
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Critérium National de la Route
1st Stage 3 (ITT)
1st Overall Super Prestige Pernod International
1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Jean Stablinski)
1st Grand Prix des Nations
1st Grand Prix de Lugano
1st Critérium des As
1st Mont Faron hill climb
4th Overall Giro di Sardegna
7th Trofeo Laigueglia
8th Giro di Lombardia
1966
1st Jersey white.svg Overall Paris–Nice
1st Stage 8
1st Jersey Sardegna (Red-Blue Stripe).png Overall Giro di Sardegna
1st Overall Super Prestige Pernod International
1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège
1st Grand Prix des Nations
2nd Road race, UCI Road World Championships
2nd Overall Volta a Catalunya
1st Stage 6b
3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
3rd Grand Prix de Lugano
4th Giro di Lombardia
1967
1st MaillotVolta.png Overall Volta a Catalunya
1st Stage 7b (ITT)
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Critérium National de la Route
2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Bernard Guyot)
2nd Critérium des As
3rd Overall Giro d'Italia
7th Overall Giro di Sardegna
1968
1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Felice Gimondi)
4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
5th Critérium des As
10th Overall Paris–Nice
1969
1st Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour of the Basque Country
3rd Overall Paris–Nice
4th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

General classification results timeline

Grand Tour general classification results timeline
Grand Tour 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Jersey yellow.svg Vuelta a España DNF 1
Jersey pink.svg Giro d'Italia 2 1 2 1 3 3
Jersey yellow.svg Tour de France 1 DNF 3 1 1 1 1 DNF
Major stage race general classification results
Race 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Jersey Sardegna (Red-Blue Stripe).png Giro di Sardegna 11 4 1 7 DNF
Jersey white.svg Paris–Nice 7 1 10 11 DNF 1 DNF 1 6 1 1 16 10 3
Jersey yellow.svg Critérium National de la Route 9 7 5 3 1 1 DNF 1 1 11
Jersey yellow.svg Tour of the Basque Country 1
Jersey pink.svg Four Days of Dunkirk 1 1 12
Jersey green.svg Tour de Romandie 8 10
Jersey yellow-bluebar.svg Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré 15 12 1 1 4
Jersey yellow.svg Grand Prix du Midi Libre 9 14
MaillotVolta.png Volta a Catalunya 2 1

Monuments results timeline

Monument 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968
Milan–San Remo 12 17 10 23
Tour of Flanders 14
Paris–Roubaix 53 15 31 25 14 24 8 60 31 16
Liège–Bastogne–Liège 1 4
Giro di Lombardia 23 12 21 34 17 8 4
Legend
Did not compete
DNF Did not finish

World records

Discipline Record Date Velodrome Track Ref
Hour record 46.159 km 29 June 1956 Vigorelli (Milan) Indoor
47.493 km 27 September 1967

Awards and decorations

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Jacques Anquetil para niños

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