Roger Hassenforder (23 July 1930 in Sausheim 3 January 2021 in

Colmar Colmar (; ; or ) is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Alsace region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is the seat of the prefecture of the Haut-Rhin department ...

) was a French professional

racing cyclist Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, and cycle speedway. Non-racing cycling spo ...

from

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

Biography

Hassenforder was a professional cyclist from 1952 to 1965. He was known as the joker of the pack, earning him the nickname "boute-en-train" ("life of the party"). He was known for his interviews during the course. His major victories as cyclist were in the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

, but he did not win much in other races. His best years were 1955-1959, when he won eight stages in the Tour and wore the

yellow jersey The general classification of the Tour de France is the most important classification of the race and determines the winner of the race. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification has worn the yellow jersey ( ). History For the first t ...

for four days. After his cycling career ended, he opened a restaurant in

Kaysersberg Kaysersberg (; ; ) is a historical town and former commune in Alsace in northeastern France. The name is German for ''Emperor's Mountain''. The high fortress that dominates the town serves as a reminder of both its strategic importance and its ...

, that was a favourite meeting place for cycling fans in the 1960s, and is still run by the Hassenforder family.

Major results

;1953 :

: ::did not finish ::4 days in the yellow jersey :1st stage Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré :

Tour du Sud-Est The Tour du Sud-Est was a professional cycle race held as a stage race in France. It was first held in 1919 and held for the final time in 1983, although it wasn't held every year. In 1965 it was part of the Super Prestige Pernod The Super Prest ...

(and 1st stage) ;1954 :

: ::did not finish :

Critérium International The Critérium International was a two-day Stage (bicycle race), bicycle stage race held in France every spring from 1932 until 2016, typically the last weekend of March. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in ...

:GP des Alliés :Ronde d'Aix-en-Provence ;1955 :

: ::did not finish ::winner 5th stage :Tour de Picardie ;1956 :

: ::50th place ::winner stage 4B ::winner stage 9 ::winner stage 14 ::winner stage 21 :Alès :Critérium International :GP de l'Echo d'Oran ;1957 :

: ::did not finish ::winner stage 7 ::winner stage 14 :Miniac-Morvan (FRA) :5th stage

Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...

;1958 :Critérium International ;1959 :

: ::did not finish ::winner stage 7

Sources

* Jean-Paul Olivier: Roger Hassenforder, Collection la Véridique Histoire, Paris 1999.

External links

*
''Palmarès''

Homepage of Hotel-Restaurants 'Roger Hassenforder'
1930 births 2021 deaths French male cyclists French Tour de France stage winners French Vuelta a España stage winners Sportspeople from Haut-Rhin Cyclists from Grand Est 20th-century French sportsmen {{France-cycling-bio-1930s-stub