Vendredi
Vendredi , actually Hypolite Figaro , (* Mauritius ) was a French cyclist .
As a cyclist, Hypolite Figaro carried the pseudonym Vendredi (dt. = Friday ). This name was likely a manager's brainchild and made reference to the character of Robinson Crusoe's black companion . In 1895 he finished ninth at Bordeaux – Paris , and in 1896 he started at the first Paris – Roubaix event . Since the participation of a colored cyclist in a road race was remarkable, he was given special applause. He reached the finish in Roubaix with a gap of four hours and 22 minutes on the winner Josef Fischer and finished 17th.
Vendredi also denied race on the track , such as in 1898 at the Velodrome of The Hague a pacemaker race . He was announced on the posters as the Parijsche negro . Several times he had life-threatening accidents in standing races. During a race on the Riehler Radrennbahn in Cologne in 1903, he flew into the audience with his bike because he had the unusual habit of tying his feet to the pedals.
Nothing is known about his further life.
Individual evidence
- ^ Vendredi (France). In: the-sports.org. Retrieved May 23, 2015 .
- ↑ La naissance de Paris-Roubaix. In: memoire-du-cyclisme.eu. Retrieved May 22, 2015 .
- ↑ a b Zwarte renner in eerste Parijs-Roubaix. In: Stuyfssportverhalen. March 26, 2011, accessed May 22, 2015 (Dutch).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Vendredi |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Figaro, Hipolyte (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French cyclist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 19th century |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Mauritius |
| DATE OF DEATH | 20th century |