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Jacques Anquetil

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Athlete

The Resume

    (January 8, 1934-November 18, 1987)
    Born in Mont-Saint-Algnan, France
    Road racing cyclist
    Won the Tour de France five times (1957,1961-64), the Giro d'Italia twice (1960,1964) and the Vuelta a Espana once (1963)
    Bronze medalist in the team time trial at the Helsinki Summer Olympics (1952)
    Set a record for the greatest distance covered in one hour (June 29, 1956): 46.159 km (28.682 miles)

Why he might be annoying:

    He celebrated being signed to a professional racing team by buying a Renault Fregate, which he then crashed twice within a year.
    Due to rivalries within the French team, he and other French cyclists collaborated to let Spaniard Frederico Bahamontes beat Henry Anglade of France in the 1959 Tour de France.
    He responded to the jeers of the crowds by buying a boat and christening it 'The Whistles of '59.'
    He openly admitted to doping, once saying only a fool could image that a person could ride from Bordeaux to Paris on just water.
    When he and his wife Janine were unable to have a child, they used Annie, Janine's daughter from her first marriage, as a surrogate mother.
    After Annie moved out following the birth of Jacques' daughter/step-granddaughter Sophie, he started an affair with Dominique, the wife of his stepson Alain, to make Annie jealous.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was the first cyclist to win all three of Europe's Grand Tour races.
    He was the first cyclist to win five Tours de France.
    France did not pass an anti-doping law until 1965 and the Tour de France did not begin post-race testing until 1966, so he wasn't breaking the law during any of his victories.
    Cycling journalist Pierre Chany said, 'Jacques had the strength – for which he was always criticized – to say out loud what others would only whisper.'
    He was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor (1966).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying