- René Pottier
Infobox Cyclist
ridername = René Pottier
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fullname = René Pottier
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dateofbirth = birth date|1879|06|05
dateofdeath = death date and age|1907|01|25|1879|06|05
country = FRA
height =
weight =
currentteam =
discipline = Road
role = Rider
ridertype =
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proyears =
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majorwins = 1906 Tour de France
updated =May 23 ,2008 René Pottier (born
June 5 ,1879 inMoret-sur-Loing – diedJanuary 25 ,1907 inLevallois-Perret ) was a Frenchracing cyclist Pottier won
Bordeaux-Paris in 1903 before turning professional. He came second inParis-Roubaix 1905 andBordeaux-Paris 1905, then third in 1906’s Paris-Roubaix, before winning theTour de France in 1906.He was considered the finest climber of the Tour. In the 1905 race he won the second stage, racing up the
Ballon d’Alsace to take the overall lead. However, injuries from a crash on stage 1 and the previous day's exertions caught up with him on the next stage toGrenoble and he abandoned.The following year he took five stage wins and overall victory.
In September 1906 he won the Bol d'Or 24 hour cycle race at the
Vélodrome Buffalo inParis with 925.290km.On
January 25 1907 he committedsuicide byhanging himself after hearing his wife had found a lover while he was away at the Tour. A few weeks later,Henri Desgrange , patron of the Tour, erected astele in his memory at the top of theBallon d'Alsace , a summit inAlsace .Tour de France results
*
1905 Tour de France : Abandoned after the 3rd stage
*Overall winner and winner of 5 stages
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