Maurice Schilles
Maurice Schilles ( born February 26, 1888 in Puteaux, Hauts -de -Seine, † December 24, 1957 in Suresnes, Hauts -de -Seine ) was a French cyclist who successfully at the Olympic Summer Games 1908 in London at several distances in track cycling participated.
He won at the local competitions along with his partner André Auffray the gold medal in the 2000 meters race in tandem, which generally surprised, because both were considered individually outstanding sprinter, but never ridden together in a competition. It was the only gold medal for the French team at the Olympic Games in London.
The former French champion in the sprint was also a finalist in the 1000 - meter race, but this was not evaluated because of 105 seconds exceeded the time limit. This race was marked, despite the short distance of punctures some favorites, so exceeding the time limit is possibly explained by unexpected obstacles. According to the official report Schilles should still have won the race by a few inches.
He also participated in the competition over 660 yards in part, but where he retired in the first round - as well as with the entire French team in the Team Pursuit. In the UCI Track World Championships 1909 in Ordrup at Copenhagen, he was third on the plane race over 2000 meters.
Schilles survived, unlike many other athletes of his generation, the First World War and moved in 1919 to the professional. There he ran successfully until 1928, was 1923 French champion in the sprint and won himself mid-30s still known sprint competition Grand Prix de Paris in 1924 and 1925. Yet in his professional farewell he was in third place at the national championships.