13 Facts About Roger Walkowiak

Roger Walkowiak was a professional rider from 1950 until 1960.

Roger Walkowiak died on 6 February 2017 at the age of 89.

Roger Walkowiak's father emigrated to France from Lublin in Poland.

Roger Walkowiak began racing after World War II as he was unable to find a job as a metalworker.

Roger Walkowiak was recruited for the French regional Nord-Est-Centre team, representing the North-east and Centre of France, despite coming from Montlucon in the South-West.

Roger Walkowiak was the only rider available at late notice to replace an original team member, Gilbert Bauvin, who had been promoted to France's main team.

Roger Walkowiak lost the jersey to Gerrit Voorting at the end of stage 10 which took some of the pressure off his shoulders.

At Aix-en-Provence Dutchman Wout Wagtmans took the jersey, but Roger Walkowiak was still well placed.

Roger Walkowiak's win was poorly received by the professional peloton and the public.

Roger Walkowiak became the second rider to win the Tour without winning on any of the individual day's stages that make up the race.

France remained unimpressed and for many years, Roger Walkowiak's name passed into the language, so that do something "a la Walko" meant to succeed unexpectedly or without panache.

Roger Walkowiak rode the Tour the following year, but slipped from top of the field to almost the bottom.

Roger Walkowiak rode the Tour of Spain, the Vuelta a Espana, in 1957 and won a stage, raced a further two years and then retired to run a bar in the area from which he had left, as an unknown, to win the Tour de France.