Circle of relatives, buddies, former greats of French biking and hundred of native folks paid their remaining tributes to Raymond Poulidor at his funeral in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat on Tuesday
Poulidor died remaining Wednesday on the age of 83, sparking a wave of recollections among a technology of biking lovers and admire from everybody else. Poulidor famously by no means controlled to win the Excursion de France however that simplest endeared him to the French public within the sixties and seventies.
He was once affectionately referred to as ‘Poupou’ and was once nonetheless widely known and greeted with affection on the Excursion de France, the place he labored for yellow jersey sponsor Credit score Lyonnais.
Mathieu and David van der Poel attended the funeral in their grandfather, quietly following their mom Corinne, father Adri, and grandmother.
Poulidor’s coffin was once carried into the church by means of former Excursion de France winners Bernhard Thévenet and Bernard Hinault, and different buddies. A lot of different well-known names from the historical past of French biking had been additionally in attendance, together with global champions André Darrigade and Luc Leblanc, 1966 Excursion winner Lucien Aimar, double Paris-Roubaix winners Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle and Marc Madiot, and previous Excursion de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc.
A up to date photograph of Poulidor using his motorbike on his native roads hung around the front to the church, with two huge pictures of Poulidor racing together with his two historic competition Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx throughout the church.
A large number of colorful wreaths had been positioned on the foot of the altar, whilst a number of Mercier jerseys had been held up by means of the general public out of doors the church.
“We can leave out him. Raymond leaves a large void,” Thévenet mentioned earlier than the funeral provider. “Even individuals who had by no means noticed Raymond race knew him come what may. It is a disgrace that Raymond will be unable to look the entire good fortune of his grandson Mathieu van der Poel.”
Excursion de France director Christian Prudhomme was once additionally in attendance and prompt that Poulidor embodied “the France of all the time.”
Corinne van der Poel spoke in short about her father all over the funeral, studying a message from Mathieu.
“I’ve numerous favourite races in cyclo-cross, however there also are ‘crosses that I do not love to experience. However thank you in your messages and encouragements each and every Sunday, I felt like doing my best possible in all places once more. That is why, Grandpa, you’re my champion,” Corinne mentioned.
Mythical race announcer Daniel Mangeas learn a shifting euology, recalling: “He all the time mentioned to me: ‘As quickly as I am within the biking global, I am satisfied, I will by no means be capable of give again to biking all that it has given me.'”
Van der Poel in tranen bij afscheid Poulidor: ’Opa, je bent mijn grootste kampioen’ https://t.co/JxknRgEUrQ by way of @telegraafNovember 19, 2019
Les obsèques de Raymond #Poulidor se sont déroulées ce mardi dans son village de Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, en présence de sa famille, de Bernard Hinault et de Bernard Thévenet, également l. a. ministre des Sports activities Roxana Maracineanu et de centaines d’anonymeshttps://t.co/9t7qQOs3ddNovember 19, 2019
Obsèques de Raymond Poulidor : anonymes et personnalités disent adieu à «Poupou» https://t.co/wT8lHQLlUbNovember 19, 2019
