Pierre Beuffeuil

Pierre Beuffeuil (L'Éguille, France, 30 October 1934[1]) is a former French professional road bicycle racer. He won a stage of the Tour de France after the rest of the field had stopped to greet Charles de Gaulle, the president.[2]

Pierre Beuffeuil
Personal information
Full namePierre Beuffeuil
Born (1934-10-30) October 30, 1934
L'Éguille, France
Team information
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Professional teams
1956–1964Mercier–BP–Hutchinson
1965Ford France–Gitane
1966Kamomé–Dilecta
1967Tigra–Grammont
Major wins
2 stages Tour de France

Tour de France

Pierre Beuffeuil was riding the Tour de France in 1960 for the regional Centre-Midi team[3] when news came that Charles de Gaulle, the president, would be by the route at Colombey-les-deux-Églises, where he lived. The organisers, Jacques Goddet and Félix Lévitan asked the national champion, Henry Anglade, if the riders would be willing to stop. Anglade agreed and the news was spread through the race.

Beuffeuil, however, had stopped to repair a tyre[4] and knew nothing of the plan. He was three minutes behind the race. He reached Colombey convinced he would still be behind the race when it finished in Troyes, then found the race halted in front of him. He pressed on alone, now leading rather than following, and won the stage alone on the boulevard Jules-Guesde by 49 seconds.[5][6]

"I voted for de Gaulle", he said.[7]

Beuffeuil won the stage from Montluçon to Orléans in 1966[8] after a break of 204 km.[9] He came third in the Four Days of Dunkirk in 1961 and again in 1966.[10]

Major results
1956
Circuit d'Aquitaine
Ontron
Vergt
1959
Auzances
Périgueux
1960
Bourcefranc
Peyrelevade
Tour de France:
Winner stage 20
1961
Quilan
1962
Circuit des genêts verts
Guéret
Maël-Pestivien
1965
Chaniers
Saint-Just
1966
Saint-Tropez
Tour de France:
Winner stage 21
1967
Querrien
Valence-sur-Baise

References
  1. https://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme/CyclismeFicheCoureur2441.html
  2. https://www.humanite.fr/2001-07-16_Sports_1960-Pierre-Beuffeuil-remercia-le-general
  3. http://www.ledicodutour.com/equipes/equipes_regionales/centre_midi.htm
  4. Some sources say he had stopped to be sick.
  5. https://www.humanite.fr/2001-07-16_Sports_1960-Pierre-Beuffeuil-remercia-le-general
  6. http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/eta_tdf_1947_1977/tdf1960.php
  7. http://archives.tdg.ch/TG/TG/-/article-2003-07-898/100-ans-du-touron-sait-que-la-naissance-du-tour-est-une-consequence-directe-de-l-une-des-plus%5B%5D
  8. http://www.letour.com/HISTO/TDF/riders/fr/3396.html%5B%5D
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2002-11-29. Retrieved 2008-12-12.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2008-12-12.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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