After breaking countless of records at the velodrome, French cycling hero Robert Marchand has finally decided to retire from cycling at the age of 106.
Marchand, is born on November 26, 1911, in France, in the city of Amiens. Despite his impressive job portfolio, that included positions such as firefighter, wine merchant, sugarcane planter, and vegetable farmer, his first moments of fame came after he became the national gymnastics champion and boxer.
A record-breaker man
The announcement of his late retirement became public by his close friend, Christian Bouchard. He said that Marchand will continue to pedal on his stationary bike for as long as he physically can.
The decision to retire from cycling comes a year after the champion set the world record for the over-105s category. He was able to complete a distance of 22.528 km in only one hour.
“His doctors don’t want him to make these huge efforts anymore,” his neighbor Christian Bouchard stated.
Four years ago, in 2014, Marchand had conducted the 16.7-mile distance in one hour, breaking the over-100 record.
“Going for yet another record would mean lots of pressure, lots of demands,” Alain Gautheron, president of the Cyclos Myrtriens club in Mitry-Mory, the place where Marchand is the eminent cardholder, said. “If he pedals, he should be doing it to relax, purely for the pleasure.”
