Maurice Archambaud (30 August 1908 in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

– 3 December 1955 in

Le Raincy Le Raincy () is a prestigious commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Le Raincy is a subprefecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Le Raincy. Its popu ...

) was a French professional cyclist from 1932 to 1944. His short stature earned him the

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

of ''le nabot'', or "the dwarf", but his colossal thighs made him an exceptional rider. He won Paris-Soissons and Paris-Verneuil as an amateur in 1931 and turned professional the following year for Alcyon, one of the top teams in France. He won the inaugural

Grand Prix des Nations The Grand Prix des Nations was an individual time trial (against the clock) for both professional and amateur racing cyclists. Held annually in Cannes, France, it was instituted in 1932 and often regarded as the unofficial time trial championship ...

in his first season. He set the world

hour record The hour record is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle from a stationary start. Cyclists attempt this record alone on the track without other competitors present. It is considered one of the most prestigious reco ...

at 45.767 km at the Vigorelli

velodrome A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

on 3 November 1937. He beat the Dutchman,

Frans Slaats Frans Slaats (born Waalwijk, Netherlands, 11 June 1912, died Waalwijk, 6 April 1993) was a Dutch professional cyclist who broke the world hour record. Slaats was a prominent velodrome rider in the 1930s, especially in Six-day racing. In September ...

' record of 45.485 km, set on 29 September 1937. The record stood for five years before being beaten by

Fausto Coppi Angelo Fausto Coppi (; 15 September 1919 – 2 January 1960) was an Italian cyclist, the dominant international cyclist of the years after the Second World War. His successes earned him the title ''Il Campionissimo'' ("Champion of Champions ...

. Archambaud rode for France in the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

between the wars. His sudden changes of form and frequent falls meant that he never won the race, but he did win ten stages and wear the

yellow jersey The general classification is the most important classification, the one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification wears the yellow jersey (french: maillot jaune ). History Th ...

. He won a shorter stage race, Paris–Nice, in 1936 and 1939.

Major results

;1932 :

: winner ;1933 :

: :: Winner stages 1 and 11 :: 5th overall :: 9 days in the

;1935 :

: ::Winner stages 5A and 14B ::7th overall : Giro d'Italia: :: Winner stage 14B : Paris-Caen : Six days of Paris :GP de l'Echo d'Alger ;1936 :

: ::Winner stage 4 ::5 days in the yellow jersey. : Paris–Nice ;1937 :

: ::Winner stage 2 :

Hour record The hour record is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle from a stationary start. Cyclists attempt this record alone on the track without other competitors present. It is considered one of the most prestigious reco ...

: Giro della provincia Milano (with Aldo Bini) ;1939 :

: :: Winner stages 10B, 10C, 12B and 17B : Paris–Nice

References

External links

* * French male cyclists French Tour de France stage winners French Giro d'Italia stage winners 1908 births 1955 deaths Cyclists from Paris {{France-cycling-bio-1900s-stub