...but I've just been reading a bit more on him in Wikipedia, amazing guy...
(from French and English wiki pages)
Marchand was a firefighter in Paris in the 1930s. He was a prisoner-of-war during World War II. He then moved to Venezuela, where he was a lorry driver and sugarcane planter. In the 1950s he went to Canada, where he had a job as a lumberjack. He returned to France in 1960 and worked as a gardener and wine dealer until 1987. He is a member of the French communist Party and the CGT Trade Union, the longest serving member alive to this day with 90 years of membership in the Trade Union. He took an active part during the strikes of 1936 in France that gave birth to the modern era foundations of French employment legislation.
Before cycling, he tried boxing, then gymnastics, and was a French champion at the 'human pyramid'. Aged 35 he finished seventh in the Grand Prix des Nations (cycling time trials) in 1946, but was considered too small to be a professional cyclist. He returned to cycling in 1978 (aged 67). Since then, he's completed Paris-Bordeaux 8 times, Paris-Roubaix 4 times, 3 Marmottes, and l'Ardechoise 12 times. In February 2012, aged 100, he set a world record in one-hour track cycling in the over-100 age group (24.1km), and in September 2012 he cycled 100km in 4hrs 17mins, another record. In January 2014, aged 102, he beat his own hour record by 2.7km (26.9km). To celebrate his 103rd birthday, he cycled up a peak named after him (Col de Marchand), 10km/450m, in 56 minutes.
I know it was in the Hour Record thread a few days ago...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38510439
...but I've just been reading a bit more on him in Wikipedia, amazing guy...
(from French and English wiki pages)
Marchand was a firefighter in Paris in the 1930s. He was a prisoner-of-war during World War II. He then moved to Venezuela, where he was a lorry driver and sugarcane planter. In the 1950s he went to Canada, where he had a job as a lumberjack. He returned to France in 1960 and worked as a gardener and wine dealer until 1987. He is a member of the French communist Party and the CGT Trade Union, the longest serving member alive to this day with 90 years of membership in the Trade Union. He took an active part during the strikes of 1936 in France that gave birth to the modern era foundations of French employment legislation.
Before cycling, he tried boxing, then gymnastics, and was a French champion at the 'human pyramid'. Aged 35 he finished seventh in the Grand Prix des Nations (cycling time trials) in 1946, but was considered too small to be a professional cyclist. He returned to cycling in 1978 (aged 67). Since then, he's completed Paris-Bordeaux 8 times, Paris-Roubaix 4 times, 3 Marmottes, and l'Ardechoise 12 times. In February 2012, aged 100, he set a world record in one-hour track cycling in the over-100 age group (24.1km), and in September 2012 he cycled 100km in 4hrs 17mins, another record. In January 2014, aged 102, he beat his own hour record by 2.7km (26.9km). To celebrate his 103rd birthday, he cycled up a peak named after him (Col de Marchand), 10km/450m, in 56 minutes.
And at 105 years old...