Jean Graczyk
Encyclopedia
Jean Graczyk was a professional road bicycle racer who won two maillot vert (or green jersey) points competitions
at the Tour de France
and has won several stages each at the Tour de France and Vuelta a España
. Before turning professional, Graczyk won an Olympic silver medal in the team pursuit for France
.
His nickname in the sport was Popof. The American-French journalist René de Latour
jokingly said in the British monthly Sporting Cyclist
that it was because of his habit of attacking alone, or "popping off". De Latour, however, depended too heavily on his readers' understanding of French slang, because Popof is a semi-derogatory term in French for someone of Polish background. The "popping off" suggestion, however, is still widely believed and appears from time to time in histories of the sport.
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1969
Points classification
The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint Classification;...
at the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
and has won several stages each at the Tour de France and Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
. Before turning professional, Graczyk won an Olympic silver medal in the team pursuit for France
France at the 1956 Summer Olympics
France competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia and Stockholm, Sweden . 137 competitors, 119 men and 18 women, took part in 95 events in 15 sports.- Gold:* Alain Mimoun — Athletics, Men's Marathon...
.
His nickname in the sport was Popof. The American-French journalist René de Latour
René de Latour
René de Latour was a Franco-American sports journalist, race director of the Tour de l'Avenir cycle race, and correspondent of the British magazine, Sporting Cyclist, to which he contributed to 120 of the 131 issues.-Background:René de Latour was born in 42nd Street, New York...
jokingly said in the British monthly Sporting Cyclist
Sporting Cyclist
Sporting Cyclist was a British cycling A4-sized magazine originally called Coureur. It began in 1957 and closed after 131 issues in October 1968.-Coureur:...
that it was because of his habit of attacking alone, or "popping off". De Latour, however, depended too heavily on his readers' understanding of French slang, because Popof is a semi-derogatory term in French for someone of Polish background. The "popping off" suggestion, however, is still widely believed and appears from time to time in histories of the sport.
Major results
1956- Summer OlympicsCycling at the 1956 Summer OlympicsThe cycling competition at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne consisted of two road cycling events and four track cycling events, all for men only.-Medal table:-Medal summary:...
:- Silver medal team pursuit
- national amateur road race champion
1957
- Vailly-sur-Sauldre
- Tour du Sud-Est
1958
- Cluny
- Orchies
- Vuelta a España1958 Vuelta a EspañaThe 13th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 30 to May 15, 1958. It consisted of 16 stages covering a total of 3,241.8 km, and was won by Jean Stablinski. Salvador Botella won the points classification and Federico Bahamontes...
:- Winner stage 13B
- Pleurtuit
- Tour de France1958 Tour de FranceThe 1958 Tour de France was the 45th Tour de France, taking place June 26 to July 19, 1958. The total race distance was 24 stages over 4,319 km, at an average speed of 36.919 km/h....
:-
Winner Points classificationPoints classificationThe points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint Classification;...
-
1959
- Antibes
- Hyères
- Ronde d'Aix-en-Provence
- Saint-Denis l'Hotel
- Trofeo Longines (with Jacques AnquetilJacques AnquetilJacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964...
, André DarrigadeAndré DarrigadeAndré Darrigade was a French professional road bicycle racer between 1951 and 1966. Darrigade, a road sprinter won the 1959 World Championship and 22 stages of the Tour de France. Five of those were on the first day. The record has never been equalled.-Origins:André Darrigade was born at Narosse,...
, Seamus ElliottSeamus ElliottSeamus 'Shay' Elliott was an Irish road bicycle racer.Shay Elliott was the first Irish cyclist to make a mark as a professional rider in continental Europe....
and Michel VermeulinMichel VermeulinMichel Vermeulin is a former road and track cyclist from France, who won the gold medal in the men's team time trial at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, alongside Arnaud Geyre and Maurice Moucheraud. He also claimed the silver medal in the men's 4.000m team pursuit in the track...
) - Paris–Nice
- Tour de France1959 Tour de FranceThe 1959 Tour de France was the 46th Tour de France, taking place between 25 June and 18 July 1959. The race featured 120 riders, of which 65 finished. The Tour included 22 stages over 4,391 km, and the winner had an average speed of 35.474 km/h....
:- Winner stage 5
1960
- Tour de France1960 Tour de FranceThe 1960 Tour de France was the 47th Tour de France, taking place between 26 June and 17 July 1960. The race featured 128 riders, of which 81 finished...
:- Winner stages 4, 12, 17 and 21
- Winner Points classification
- Critérium InternationalCritérium InternationalThe Critérium International is a two-day bicycle stage race held in France every spring. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in 1932....
- Super Prestige Pernod InternationalSuper Prestige Pernod InternationalThe Super Prestige Pernod International was a season-long competition in road bicycle racing between 1958 and 1988.Disagreements between the organisers of the similar Challenge Desgrange-Colombo led to its demise and a gap in season-long competitions. In 1958, the publicity division of Pernod...
- Super Prestige Pernod International
- Brignolles
- GP Monaco
- Saint-Claud
- Saint-Hilaire de Harcouet
1961
- Challenge Laurens
- GP de Fréjus
- Neuvic sur l'isle
- Roma-Napoli-Roma
- Saint-Just-sur-Loire
- Sanvignes
- Vailly-sur-Sauldre
- La Charité-sur-Loire
1962
- GP Vercors
- Lubersac
- Vuelta a España1962 Vuelta a EspañaThe 1962 Vuelta a España was the 17th Vuelta a España, taking place from April 27 to May 13, 1962. It consisted of 17 stages over 2806 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.684 km/h....
:- Winner stages 6, 13, 14 and 16
- Soings
1963
- GP Monaco
- Soing-en-Sologne
- Vailly-sur-Sauldre
- Royan
- Montélimar
1964
- Gap
- Montélimar
1965
- Belvès
- Sin-le-Noble
- Vailly-sur-Sauldre
- Montélimar
1969
- Quesnoy
Teams
- 1955: La Perle-Hutchinson
- 1956: Individual
- 1957-1958: Helyett-Potin
- 1959: Helyett-Fynsec
- 1960: Helyett-Fynsec-Leroux
- 1961: Helyett-Fynsec-Hutchinson
- 1962: Saint-Raphael-Helyett
- 1963-1964: Margnat-Paloma
- 1965: Ford France-Gitane
- 1966: Ford France-Geminiani
- 1967-1968: Bic
- 1969-1970: Sonolor-Lejeune
- 1970-1972: Individual