15 Facts About Marcel Bidot

Marcel Bidot was a French professional road bicycle racer who won two stages of the Tour de France and became manager of the French national team.

Marcel Bidot led the team in 12 Tours and won six of them.

Marcel Bidot was the son of a failed cafe owner, a former racing cyclist who then ran one of the clubs in his home town of Troyes, in the Champagne region.

Marcel Bidot turned professional in 1923 and at Alcyon earned 2,000 francs a month, ten times his pay at the bank.

Marcel Bidot rode every Tour de France from 1926 to 1930 and then again in 1932.

Marcel Bidot stopped after a while and struggled on with the pedal tied to the crank with a leather strap.

The bike was too small but Bidot still finished the stage.

Marcel Bidot's freewheel broke in the Pyrenees and he could no longer turn the wheel - in the absence of a derailleur, which Desgrange had banned - to ride a lower gear.

Marcel Bidot had to ride up the col du Tourmalet and three other passes in the gear in which he had planned to ride down them.

Marcel Bidot punctured on the Izoard and again a judge was there to see he accepted no help.

Marcel Bidot's best placing in the Tour was fifth, in 1930, the first year of national teams.

Marcel Bidot won stages in 1928 and 1929 and was national champion in 1929.

Marcel Bidot took on a job with the Simplex derailleur company and Marcel took his place in 1952.

Marcel Bidot led the national team in 12 Tours and won six of them.

Marcel Bidot's career ended when the Tour returned to sponsored teams in 1961.