French cyclist Robert Marchand sets new record at 105 YEARS OLD
HE is unlikely to be the next Sir Bradley Wiggins and is certainly not the fastest in a velodrome.
Extraordinary 105-year-old French cyclist breaks record
But at the age of 105, Robert Marchand is easily one of the oldest men on two wheels.
He managed 14 miles at the national velodrome in an hour, taking the top spot in a new category for riders over 105.
Amazingly, he was dissatisfied with his performance.
“I could have done better,” he said, but missed a sign showing 10 minutes to go.
Robert Marchand is an avid rider at 105 years old
I am here to prove that at 105 years old you can still ride a bike
“My legs didn’t hurt,” he went on.
“My arms hurt but that’s because of rheumatism. I’m not in such good shape as I was a couple of years back.
“I am not here to be champion. I am here to prove that at 105 years old you can still ride a bike.”
Mr Marchand managed 14 miles at the national velodrome in an hour
Hundreds of spectators cheered on Frenchman Mr Marchand at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome, near Paris.
They chanted: “Robert! Robert!” as he neared the end of the ride and gave him a standing ovation when he finished.
He was then mobbed by TV crews. Born in 1911, Mr Marchand puts his remarkable fitness and longevity down to diet – lots of fruit and vegetables, a little meat, not too much coffee – and an hour a day on the cycling home-trainer.
The 105-year-old only took up competitive cycling at 68
He was born in Amiens, near the frontline of the First World War.
Mr Marchand was a prisoner-of-war during the Second World War and went on to work as a lorry driver and sugarcane planter in Venezuela – as well as a lumberjack in Canada.
He only took up competitive cycling at 68.
His coach Gerard Mistler said: “Robert is a great example for all of us.”