Emile Idée, the oldest surviving Tour de France stage winner, has died at his house close to Paris aged 104.
Idée was one in every of his nation’s high racers within the Forties, turning professional in 1942 and changing into a famend time triallist and racing the Tour thrice.
Idée’s profession, like so many others, was badly affected by World Battle II. However he nonetheless managed to overcome each the Nationwide Championships and the now-defunct GP Nations, broadly thought-about for a few years to be the unofficial World Championships time trial title, on a number of events.
Idée was a professional for 12 years for the Alcyon-Dunlop, La Perle–Hutchinson, Olmo-Fulgor and Peugeot-Dunlop groups. In keeping with L’Équipe, Idée was keen on declaring that he had rubbed shoulders throughout his profession with high French biking figures like triple French Tour de France winner Louison Bobet in addition to Maurice De Muer and Jean De Gribaldy, who later grew to become two of France’s most famed sports activities administrators.
Internationally, Idée competed towards riders of the calibre of Belgian Classics stars Briek Schotte and Rik van Steenbergen – behind whom Idée completed second within the 1948 Paris-Roubaix – and all-time Italian nice Fausto Coppi.
5 instances Idée gained one in every of France’s high stage races, the Critérium Nationwide – later referred to as the Criterium Worldwide, which held its final version in 2016 – previous to his loss of life. Idée was the oldest surviving rider from the primary ever post-WWII Tour de France, held in 1947.
However the crowning second of Idée’s profession got here in his third and ultimate participation within the Tour de France in 1949, triumphing from a five-rider break on stage 13 into Nimes.
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“I used to be a quick finisher on the time,” he advised L’Équipe, “and within the break, there was an Italian rider. I advised him ‘For those who try to leap away, I am going to offer you a proper thumping.” Whether or not or not his rival took Idée at his phrase shouldn’t be clear, however in any case, Idée was the quickest within the break and gained the one Tour de France stage of his profession.
Idée then retired in 1952 and went on to open a collection of motorcycle outlets, dwelling for nearly all the the rest of his life in Melun, close to Paris.