He's my favorite racer from the golden years of the Sixties and Seventies.
He appeals to me because he was always the runner-up, the underdog rider. Out of 14 starts, he finished the TdF in second place 3 times and third place 5 times!
He did win big races, though. For example he won Paris-Nice, Dauphiné Libéré, Critérium International, Milan-San Remo, La Flèche Wallonne.
He also appeals to me because he was a fighter, especially against the big guns. For example, here are the winners of the Critérium International from '63 to '68:
1963 Jacques Anquetil
1964 Raymond Poulidor
1965 Jacques Anquetil
1966 Raymond Poulidor
1967 Jacques Anquetil
1968 Raymond Poulidor
He never managed to outclass Anquietil, who had a syrupy, smooth pedal stroke and the good looks of Coppi. But the scrappy Poulidor never backed down. He was a hard man. Many names get mentioned as the greats, Hinault, Anquetil, Kelly, Coppi, Bobet, and of course, Merckx. But I identify most with Poulidor.
And I'm not the only one. Because he was a fighter but always seemed to come up short he developed a strong popular following. The reason for his popularity is that so many of us identify with that story. It's our story.
Salut, Poupou!
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