René Vietto

René Vietto ( born February 17, 1914 in Rochester Ville- Le Cannet; † 14 October 1988 Orange ) was a French cyclist.

1934 René Vietto won the Grand Prix Wolber, a race for French young drivers. Subsequently, the 20 -year-old Vietto started in the Tour de France, won four stages, the polka-dot jersey for the best climber and was fifth overall.

This part of the tour Vietto entwine kinds Legends: Prior to his cycling career Vietto to have worked as elevator operator at the Hotel Majestic in Cannes. When in 1934 he won the stage to Cannes, he was received with particular jubilation. Twice he should have swapped with his captain and eventual winner Antonin Magne, the wheel because he had a defect, and thus have enabled him to win. Therefore Vietto lost valuable time, but was particularly closed for the cycling enthusiasts in the heart. In the 2011 published book sweat of the gods these details are exposed as myths: in reality Vietto had no less worked glamorous on a telegraph office as a lift boy, but he had his bike replaced not with Magne, but with George's memory, and the picture on which it was shown alone and sobbing after changing the wheel, was edited ( the people surrounding him had been cut off ). But: " A legend is born, and no one will dare to attack them. It is touching, "wrote one journalist at the time. After Magne had won the Tour, he had to take Vietto at the request of the audience on his lap of honor at the Parc des Princes stadium.

1935 Vietto aft of the tour after two stage wins. Then he had a difficult time as a racing driver because it increased the success to the head and he had become frivolous and capricious. He had problems to find a team and to be admitted to the tour. " In cycling milieu him almost no one could stand ."

1939, however Vietto started again in the Tour, captured for 14 days the yellow jersey and was second. In 1947, he was 15 days, the leader in the overall standings and eventually became fifth. This time, cost him a defect, albeit on your own bike, victory. Overall Vietto started eight times in the Tour and is still the driver, who wore the yellow jersey for the longest without winning the Tour.

1935 Vietto won Paris-Nice and finished fourth in the Paris- Roubaix. In 1938 he won at the Polymultipliée. During the Second World War, he was still active as a racing driver, 1941, he won the French championship road ( in the unoccupied zone) and 1943 the Circuit du Midi. In 1946 he won the Grand Prix de la République.

After his Radsportkarrierre Vietto led a farm in the hinterland of Cannes. He is with his wife Giselle on the Col de Braus, his home mountain, buried. There he won the mountains classification in the Tour 1934.