Antonin Magne raced as a professional from 1927 to 1939 and then became a team manager.
17 Facts About Antonin Magne
2.
Antonin Magne was part of the Alleluia Team which, with Pierre Magne, Julien Moineau, Marius Gallotini, Arsene Alancourt, and Andre Cauet, won the 1927 GP Wolber, considered the unofficial world road race championship.
3.
In 1931, defending champion Andre Leducq was not in good shape, so Antonin Magne took over the role as team leader.
4.
In 1932, Antonin Magne did not defend his Tour de France title; instead he started in the Giro d'Italia, but could not impress.
5.
In 1933, Antonin Magne returned in the Tour de France, and finished in 8th place.
6.
In 1934, Antonin Magne again started in the Tour de France, in a strong French team.
7.
Antonin Magne's hopes looked over when he broke a wheel on the descent from l'Hospitalet to Ax-les-Thermes in the Pyrenees.
8.
Antonin Magne was rescued by the youngest rider in his team, Rene Vietto, who handed him his own wheel despite being in third place himself.
9.
Antonin Magne won the Tour and France dominated it but Vietto, who finished fifth, was the hero.
10.
Antonin Magne won the Grand Prix des Nations, the unofficial world championship of the individual time trial, for the first time that year.
11.
In 1935 and 1936, Antonin Magne again won the Grand Prix des Nations.
12.
In 1936, Antonin Magne rode strong in the Tour, and finished in second place, behind Sylvere Maes.
13.
In 1937, Antonin Magne did not start in the Tour, saying that he had already decided this in 1936, and that he was still recuperating from a car accident in May He became the official starter of the 1937 Tour instead.
14.
In 1938, Antonin Magne rode the Tour de France for the last time, and in the last stage he crossed the finishline together with Andre Leducq, who rode the Tour for the last time; both were declared winner of that stage.
15.
Antonin Magne is credited with being a mentor to the great riders of the era, and is considered to be one of the best directeurs sportif in the sport.
16.
Antonin Magne lived for much of his life at Livry-Gargan, in the departement of Seine-Saint-Denis near Paris.
17.
Antonin Magne was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur in 1962.