Roger Rivière

Roger Rivière ( born February 23, 1936 in Saint- Étienne, † April 1, 1976 in Saint- Galmier ) was a French racing cyclist and three-time world champion.

Cycling career

Roger Rivière was the beginning of his career as one of the greatest French cycling talent. In 1955, he struck at the French Championships in Parc des Princes stadium in the individual pursuit two years older than Jacques Anquetil. 1957, at the age of only 21, he became world champion in the individual pursuit on the track, after he had just gone over to the professionals. This title he successfully defended in the following two years. Twice he also made it to a world hour record on the Vigorelli Milan Station: In 1957, he improved the old record by Ercole Baldini from the year earlier to 523 meters to 46.923 km, again two years later to 47.347 km. In the same year he was appointed by the sports newspaper L' Équipe France's Sportsman of the Year ( " champion of champions" ) selected.

Also on the road Rivière was a successful racing driver: he won multiple stage wins at the Vuelta and the Tour de France. In 1956, he won the overall classification of the Tour d'Europe. At the Tour de France 1959, the French team was at odds internally: Rivière Anquetil and stalked to one another such that the Spaniard Federico Bahamontes managed the overall victory; both big favorites Anquetil and Rivière occupied only 3rd and 4th behind another Frenchman, Henry Anglade, no one had been on the bill.

A year later Rivière was the only favorite in the race - Anquetil did not compete - and could the individual time trial and two stages to decide for themselves. On July 10, 1960 Rivière fell on the 14th stage from Millau to Avignon on the descent from the Col du Perjuret in a 30-meter deep ravine and hurt himself badly on the head and spine. Because there were drugs in his jersey pockets with prohibited substances, there was a presumption that he was impaired by the action of these agents in its reactivity; later Rivière himself admitted to have taken strong painkillers and also to have been doped during his record run in 1958.

Already in 1958 Rivière who fell in the six -day race in Paris after a collision with Jacques Anquetil and Ferdinando Terruzzi and the pool was broken, had been so at the time feared that he would end his career.

Life after accident

After the accident, Roger Rivière was severely disabled, was in a wheelchair and was addicted to drugs. First, he opened in his home town of Saint- Étienne cafe " Le Vigorelli ", named after the track on which he had set his records. Later he ran a workshop as well as a campground.

Roger Rivière died at the age of 40 from cancer.