Lucien Michard
Encyclopedia
Lucien Michard (born Épinay-sur-Seine
, France
, 17 November 1903, died 1 November 1985) was a French
racing cyclist and Olympic track champion. He won four successive world championships and lost a fifth even though he crossed the line first.
He won a gold medal in the sprint at the 1924 Summer Olympics
in Paris
.
suburb of St Denis He worked for his father but spent much of his time training at the Parc des Princes
or the Cipale velodrome
in Vincennes
. He started racing in 1921, winning the Médaille competition for novices at the Vélodrome d'Hiver
, "a frail and timid lad of 17...who would dominate the world scene for many years", as René de Latour
described him.
He became national sprint champion at 19. In 1924 he won the Olympic sprint, beating Jaap Meijer
of Holland, and the world amateur championship, beating Lucien Faucheux of France. He turned professional in 1925. René de Latour wrote in Sporting Cyclist
:
in 1927. In fact he won five, but amid unusual circumstances. Michard beat Jef Scherens
in the semi-final of the championship at Copenhagen
in 1931 and reached the final against the local rider, Willy Falk Hansen
. Hansen had, like Michard, won the world sprint championship and Olympic kilometre in 1928 but he was not seen as a contender against Michard.
Michard finished half a metre ahead of Hansen and appeared to have become world champion for a record fifth year. He and Hansen circled the track together and Hansen raised Michard's arm in acknowledgement of victory. Moments later, the announcer said it was Hansen who had won. There was immediate commotion around the chief judge, Alban Collignon, who was president of the Belgian Cycling Association. He quickly realised his mistake.
He had watched the riders start the run to the line and had seen Hansen on the inside of the track and Michard outside him. The winner crossed the line on the inside of the track and Collignon announced him as Hansen. The two riders had, however, changed position and it was Michard who won.
Collignon was willing to change his decision but the rules prevented it. The rule was that the judge's decision, once announced, was final. It was intended to stop riders disputing a result. That was what it prevented for both Hansen and Michard, but the Union Cycliste Internationale
hadn't foreseen that a judge might wish to change his mind.
Michard challenged the UCI but the court ruled the event was out of its authority and the UCI did not reverse the decision and Hansen wore the rainbow jersey of world champion for the rest of the year. He wore it in the many revenge matches that he and Michard were contracted to ride around Europe. Michard wore a jersey of his own, showing not rainbow stripes but globes of the world.
The episode ended Michard's career at the top. He was displaced by another little sprinter, Jef Scherens
of Belgium
, to whom Michard finished second in 1931 and 1933. He did, however, win national championships in 1933, 1934 and 1935, before a strike with other riders against what they saw as poor payments at the Parc des Princes and Vélodrome d'Hiver led to a newspaper campaign which prompted his retirement. He began selling bicycles made under his name and sponsored a professional team in 1939 along with the tyre maker, Hutchinson.
A road is named after him in Aiguillon, where he lived most of his life.
Épinay-sur-Seine
-Transport:Épinay-sur-Seine is served by Épinay-sur-Seine station on Paris RER line C.It is also served by Épinay – Villetaneuse station on the Transilien Paris – Nord suburban rail line....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 17 November 1903, died 1 November 1985) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
racing cyclist and Olympic track champion. He won four successive world championships and lost a fifth even though he crossed the line first.
He won a gold medal in the sprint at the 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Origins
Lucien Michard was the son of a garage owner—"a stocky, severe-looking man whose bowler hat could be spotted a mile away"—in the northern ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
suburb of St Denis He worked for his father but spent much of his time training at the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
or the Cipale velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
in Vincennes
Vincennes
Vincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
. He started racing in 1921, winning the Médaille competition for novices at the Vélodrome d'Hiver
Vélodrome d'hiver
The Vélodrome d'Hiver , colloquially Vel' d'Hiv, was an indoor bicycle racing cycle track and stadium on rue Nélaton, not far from the Eiffel Tower in Paris. As well as track cycling, it was used for ice hockey, wrestling, boxing, roller-skating, circuses, spectaculars, and demonstrations...
, "a frail and timid lad of 17...who would dominate the world scene for many years", as 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...
described him.
He became national sprint champion at 19. In 1924 he won the Olympic sprint, beating Jaap Meijer
Jaap Meijer
Jacob Meijer was a track cyclist from the Netherlands, who represented his native country at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. There he won the silver medal in the Men's 1.000m Sprint .-References:...
of Holland, and the world amateur championship, beating Lucien Faucheux of France. He turned professional in 1925. René de Latour wrote in 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:...
:
- I do not think I ever saw a sprinter ride as close as Michard did. By 'close', I mean not losing a bit of shelter provided by opponents much heavier than himself. It was always a beautiful show for connoisseurs to see Michard following the giant Piet MoeskopsPiet MoeskopsPieter Daniel Moeskops was a Dutch cyclist, who won the UCI Track Cycling World Championships - Men's Sprint 5 times in the 1920s.Born in Loosduinen, as a boy he rode a delivery bike for his father's business...
- big enough to have been a super-heavyweight wrestler - elbow against hip, not losing an inch of protection.
World championship upset
Michard won the world professional championship in four successive years, starting at CologneCologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
in 1927. In fact he won five, but amid unusual circumstances. Michard beat Jef Scherens
Jef Scherens
Joseph "Jef" Scherens was a Belgian professional track cyclist, specialising in sprint where he won seven World Championships. Scherens was born in Werchter and died in Leuven...
in the semi-final of the championship at Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 1931 and reached the final against the local rider, Willy Falk Hansen
Willy Hansen
Willy Hansen was a Danish track cyclist who won a silver medal at the 1924 Summer Olympics with Edmund Hansen and gold and bronze medals at the 1928 Summer Olympics.-References:**...
. Hansen had, like Michard, won the world sprint championship and Olympic kilometre in 1928 but he was not seen as a contender against Michard.
Michard finished half a metre ahead of Hansen and appeared to have become world champion for a record fifth year. He and Hansen circled the track together and Hansen raised Michard's arm in acknowledgement of victory. Moments later, the announcer said it was Hansen who had won. There was immediate commotion around the chief judge, Alban Collignon, who was president of the Belgian Cycling Association. He quickly realised his mistake.
He had watched the riders start the run to the line and had seen Hansen on the inside of the track and Michard outside him. The winner crossed the line on the inside of the track and Collignon announced him as Hansen. The two riders had, however, changed position and it was Michard who won.
Collignon was willing to change his decision but the rules prevented it. The rule was that the judge's decision, once announced, was final. It was intended to stop riders disputing a result. That was what it prevented for both Hansen and Michard, but the Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
hadn't foreseen that a judge might wish to change his mind.
Michard challenged the UCI but the court ruled the event was out of its authority and the UCI did not reverse the decision and Hansen wore the rainbow jersey of world champion for the rest of the year. He wore it in the many revenge matches that he and Michard were contracted to ride around Europe. Michard wore a jersey of his own, showing not rainbow stripes but globes of the world.
The episode ended Michard's career at the top. He was displaced by another little sprinter, Jef Scherens
Jef Scherens
Joseph "Jef" Scherens was a Belgian professional track cyclist, specialising in sprint where he won seven World Championships. Scherens was born in Werchter and died in Leuven...
of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, to whom Michard finished second in 1931 and 1933. He did, however, win national championships in 1933, 1934 and 1935, before a strike with other riders against what they saw as poor payments at the Parc des Princes and Vélodrome d'Hiver led to a newspaper campaign which prompted his retirement. He began selling bicycles made under his name and sponsored a professional team in 1939 along with the tyre maker, Hutchinson.
A road is named after him in Aiguillon, where he lived most of his life.
Achievements
- Record 500m flying start: 29" 800, 1932
- Record kilometre flying start: 1' 07" 200, 1931
- Record ½m: 56" 200, 1931
- Record ¾m: 1' 29" 200, 1931
- Record tandem 500m (with Louis Chaillot): 34" 800, 1938
- Record tandem ½m (Chaillot): 52" 800, 1938
- Record tandem ¾m (Chaillot): 1' 08", 1938
- Olympic sprint: 1924
- World championship sprint: 1923 (amateur), 1924 (amateur), 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930
- Coupe d'Europe: 1935
- National sprint champion: 1922, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1934, 1935
- National sprint champion juniors: 1923, 1924
- National sprint champion military: 1924
- Critérium International: 1936
- Critérium National: 1934, 1936
- Critérium National d'hiver: 1937
- Challenge Victor Goddet: 1932, 1935
- GP Riguelle: 1922
- GP Paris: 1922, 1924, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1935, 1936
- GP UVF: 1924, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1931, 1932
- GP de la République: 1925, 1927, 1929, 1932
- GP de la Toussaint: 1926
- GP Copenhagen: 1927, 1929, 1930
- GP Angoulême: 1928
- GP Clermont: 1928, 1932
- GP UCI: 1929, 1930, 1933, 1937
- GP Brest: 1934
- GP Amiens: 1934, 1935
- GP Reims: 1934
- GP Algiers: 1935
- GP Cologne: 1935
- GP Cognac: 1936