Marcel Bidot
Encyclopedia
Marcel BidotMarcel Bidot (born Paris
, France
, 21 December 1902, died Saint-Lyé
, 26 January 1995) was a French
professional road bicycle racer who won two stages of the Tour de France
and became manager of the French national team. He led the team in 12 Tours and won six of them.
, in the Champagne
region. His son, Marcel, worked for the Crédit Lyonnais
bank in the town and rode for his father's club. He went training after work at 7pm.
He turned professional in 1923 and at Alcyon
earned 2,000 francs a month, ten times his pay at the bank. "At the time you could get a good meal for 20 francs and a newspaper for 25 centimes," he said.
He rode every Tour de France from 1926 to 1930 and then again in 1932. His first was the longest of all Tours, at 5,745 km with a stage of 435 km from Metz
to Dunkirk. The organiser, Henri Desgrange
, forbade riders from accepting mechanical help after breakdowns and his officials watched him pedalling with one foot after the other pedal broke. He stopped after a while and struggled on with the pedal tied to the crank with a leather strap. The judges finally relented and allowed him to borrow a bike from a spectator, but on condition that he used his own wheels. The bike was too small but Bidot still finished the stage.
That wasn't the end of his troubles. His freewheel
broke in the Pyrenees
and he could no longer turn the wheel - in the absence of a derailleur, which Desgrange had also banned - to ride a lower gear. He had to ride up the col du Tourmalet and three other passes in the gear in which he had planned to ride down them. The weather was so bad that only half the field reached the end of the stage at Luchon and officials had to search inns and houses along the route to see what had happened to the others.
Bidot punctured on the Izoard and again a judge was there to see he accepted no help. Bidot said:
Of that 1926 Tour he said:
Bidot's best placing in the Tour was fifth, in 1930, the first year of national teams. His prizes, 51,900 francs, bought him his house in St-Lyé. He won stages in 1928 and 1929 and was national champion in 1929.
He led the national team in 12 Tours and won six of them. His career ended when the Tour returned to sponsored teams in 1961.
1925
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1934
1936
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...
, 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...
, 21 December 1902, died Saint-Lyé
Saint-Lyé
Saint-Lyé is a commune in the Aube department in north-central France.-Population:-References:*...
, 26 January 1995) 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...
professional road bicycle racer who won two stages of 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 became manager of the French national team. He led the team in 12 Tours and won six of them.
Racing
Marcel Bidot was the son of a failed café owner, a former racing cyclist who then ran one of the clubs in his home town of TroyesTroyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
, in the Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
region. His son, Marcel, worked for the Crédit Lyonnais
Crédit Lyonnais
Crédit Lyonnais is a historic French bank. In the early 1990s it was the largest French bank, majority state-owned at that point. Crédit Lyonnais was the subject of poor management during that period which almost led to its bankruptcy in 1993...
bank in the town and rode for his father's club. He went training after work at 7pm.
He turned professional in 1923 and at Alcyon
Alcyon
The Alcyon was a French bicycle, automobile and motorcycle manufacturer between 1890 and 1957.- Origins :Alcyon originated from about 1890 when Edmond Gentil started the manufacture of bicycles in Neuilly, Seine. In 1902, this was complemented by motorcycle production and in 1906, the first cars...
earned 2,000 francs a month, ten times his pay at the bank. "At the time you could get a good meal for 20 francs and a newspaper for 25 centimes," he said.
He rode every Tour de France from 1926 to 1930 and then again in 1932. His first was the longest of all Tours, at 5,745 km with a stage of 435 km from Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
to Dunkirk. The organiser, Henri Desgrange
Henri Desgrange
Henri Desgrange was a French bicycle racer and sports journalist. He set 12 world track cycling records, including the hour record of 35.325 kilometres on 11 May 1893. He was the first organiser of the Tour de France.-Origins:Henri Desgrange was one of two brothers, twins...
, forbade riders from accepting mechanical help after breakdowns and his officials watched him pedalling with one foot after the other pedal broke. He stopped after a while and struggled on with the pedal tied to the crank with a leather strap. The judges finally relented and allowed him to borrow a bike from a spectator, but on condition that he used his own wheels. The bike was too small but Bidot still finished the stage.
That wasn't the end of his troubles. His freewheel
Freewheel
thumb|Freewheel mechanismIn mechanical or automotive engineering, a freewheel or overrunning clutch is a device in a transmission that disengages the driveshaft from the driven shaft when the driven shaft rotates faster than the driveshaft...
broke in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
and he could no longer turn the wheel - in the absence of a derailleur, which Desgrange had also banned - to ride a lower gear. He had to ride up the col du Tourmalet and three other passes in the gear in which he had planned to ride down them. The weather was so bad that only half the field reached the end of the stage at Luchon and officials had to search inns and houses along the route to see what had happened to the others.
Bidot punctured on the Izoard and again a judge was there to see he accepted no help. Bidot said:
- There I was in the Casse Déserte My fingers were solid with cold and I couldn't unstick the tyre from the rim. I tried to do it with my teeth. Impossible. Several minutes went by and then along came Meunier, the driver of the AlcyonAlcyonThe Alcyon was a French bicycle, automobile and motorcycle manufacturer between 1890 and 1957.- Origins :Alcyon originated from about 1890 when Edmond Gentil started the manufacture of bicycles in Neuilly, Seine. In 1902, this was complemented by motorcycle production and in 1906, the first cars...
car, and he threw me a penknife. The commissaireCommissaireCommissaire may refer to:*Commissaire , an official in competitive cycle sport, analogulous to a referee or judge*Commissaire de police, a French police rank...
made sure I couldn't get to it. 'I forbid you to pick it up,' he said. I had to get the tyre off with a wing-nut.'
Of that 1926 Tour he said:
- We used to set off at midnight and finish the following night, with hours between the riders. The racing was in the last 100km. We used to put two or three tubular tyres round our shoulders and even that wasn't enough. In the rain, the mountain roads became bogs. A lot of riders had wired-on tyres and no brakes. There was no tar on the roads, only stones and rocks.
Bidot's best placing in the Tour was fifth, in 1930, the first year of national teams. His prizes, 51,900 francs, bought him his house in St-Lyé. He won stages in 1928 and 1929 and was national champion in 1929.
Management
France insisted that the managers of its national teams had no interest in any of the riders' sponsors. The team was run through the 1950s by Jean Bidot, his brother. He took on a job with the Simplex derailleur company and Marcel took his place in 1952. He continued to work in the wine trade.He led the national team in 12 Tours and won six of them. His career ended when the Tour returned to sponsored teams in 1961.
Palmarès
1924- Paris-Bourges
1925
- Paris-Montargis
- Paris-Reims-Troyes
1928
- Marseille-Lyon
- Tour de France1928 Tour de FranceThe 1928 Tour de France was the 22nd Tour de France, taking place June 17 to July 15, 1928. It consisted of 22 stages over 5,476 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.4 km/h...
:- Winner stage 5
- 8th
1929
- national road championship
- Tour de France1929 Tour de FranceThe 1929 Tour de France was the 23rd Tour de France, taking place from 30 June to 28 July 1929. It consisted of 22 stages over 5,286 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.320 km/h....
:- Winner stage 12
1930
- Tour de France1930 Tour de FranceThe 1930 Tour de France was the 24th Tour de France, taking place from 2 to 27 July 1930. It consisted of 21 stages over 4,822 km, ridden at an average speed of 28.000 km/h....
:- 5th
1931
- Circuit d'Allier
1932
- Poitiers - Saumur - Poitiers
1934
- Circuit des Deux-Sèvres
- Paris-Troyes
1936
- Circuit des Vosges