Jules Deloffre

Jules Deloffre (22 April 1885 – 13 October 1963) was a French racing cyclist.[1] He rode in fourteen editions of the Tour de France between 1908 and 1928, finishing in seven of them.[1] Throughout his career he was nicknamed 'The Acrobat' (French: L' Acrobate).[2] During the First World War, he served in the infantry under Colonel Driant in Verdun and a street was named after him in Le Cateau-Cambrésis where he is considered a local hero.[3]

Jules Deloffre
Personal information
Born(1885-04-22)22 April 1885
Caudry, France
Died13 October 1963(1963-10-13) (aged 78)
Caudry, France
Team information
RoleRider

Early years

His parents were Jules Romain DELOFFRE (born 1858) and Marie Julia LEMPEREUR (born 1866).[4]

Career

Between 1920 and 1985, he was the record holder for the number of participations in the Tour de France, and even sole holder of this record until 1966 and the fourteenth participation of André Darrigade.[5] Deloffre was famous for performing acrobatics in front of the public at the finishings of stages, winning some subsidies. This was what motivated him to run his last five Tours de France, when he was 38 to 43 years old and he no longer had the physical means to complete in the event.[6] In his book "This is the Tour de France", Michel Duino wrote:[7]

"On each arrival, Deloffre performed somersaults for the amazed onlookers. 'Unheard of!' the spectators exclaimed. To have 300km in the legs and to succeed in that, true, it is better than in the circus! Deloffre used to thank "his" audience, by singing "Le P'tit Quinquin" when he did not feel like being the acrobat, wearing a top hat. To many French people, the Tour, it was him!

General classification results timeline
Grand Tour general classification results
Grand Tour 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1920 1921 1923 1925 1926 1927 1928
A yellow jersey Tour de France — 16 16 15 21 12 36 — 26 — — — — —

He also competed in the most prestigious classic races of his time:[8]

Professional Teams

Personal life

Deloffre married twice in Caudry, firstly on 12 August 1911 to Joséphine Maria Delcourte and secondly on 24 January 1924 to Anaïs Sophie Deschanvres. After his sporting retirement, he continued to attend regional races, and it was while riding his bicycle from the 'Criterium International de Cambrai' on 13 October 1963, that he was run over by a car leaving Caudry. He did not survive his injuries. The "Father Jules" (French: Le Père Jules) was 78 years old.[9]

References
  1. "Jules Deloffre". Cycling Archives. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  2. Laborde, Christian; Lopez, Sonia (29 May 2019). Le Tour de France: Abécédaire ébaubissant (in French). Editions du Rocher. ISBN 978-2-268-10246-7.
  3. "Le Cateau-Cambrésis: Jules Deloffre, un champion cycliste hors pair qui a marqué l'histoire de la ville". La Voix du Nord (in French). 22 August 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  4. Bourgier, Jean-Paul (2010). Le Tour de France 1914: de la fleur au guidon à la baïonnette au canon (in French). Pas d'oiseau. ISBN 978-2-917971-14-7.
  5. Goy, Gérard (29 October 2015). Tours 1914 à 1925 (in French). Editions Publibook. ISBN 978-2-342-04401-0.
  6. Mondenard, Jean-pierre de (8 August 2013). Les grandes premières du tour de France (in French). Hugo Publishing. ISBN 978-2-7556-1396-4.
  7. Duino, Michel (1955). Ça c'est le tour de France. Marabout. p. 87.
  8. "Jules Deloffre". www.cetaitautemps.net (in French). Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  9. "Deloffre, Jules · Patrimoine numérisé du Cateau-Cambrésis". patrimoine.mediatheque-lecateau.fr. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
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