Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat (France) (AFP)

Several hundred anonymous, but also former glories of cycling like Bernard Hinault or Bernard Thévenet, attended Tuesday in the Limousin village of Saint-Léonard de Noblat at the funeral of Raymond Poulidor, died Wednesday at the age of 83 years.

In cold light and fog, the most faithful had gathered at dawn behind the barriers blocking access to the college, where 4 to 500 people took place for a religious ceremony mixing accordion, gospels and tribute of director of the Tour de France Christian Prudhomme.

The inhabitants of Saint-Léonard, the village of Haute-Vienne where Raymond Poulidor resided, were present as Jeanine, "very sad, he did so much for the notoriety of Saint-Léonard.When on vacation we talked about our village people we answered + the village of Poulidor +, "she said sobs in her voice.

Inside the Collegiate, Claude Mazeaud, 82 years old, came from Lalinde in the Dordogne, 2h30 drive. "I was a teammate with him in 62 and 63. It's very hard for me, it's a picture of the cycling that is disappearing, our generation, we were really friends," he says. "I went to see him in the hospital when he was sick, he was in pain".

At the entrance to Saint-Leonard, a large banner above the road "Thank you Poupou" with Raymond's photo, greeted the visitors. Above the porch of the Collegiate, a large portrait of "Poupou" in his old days, but still on his bicycle, made a great gesture of adieu smiling.

"We will miss him, it's sure, it's a big void", sighed Bernard Thevenet, winner of two Tours de France, greeting a champion "known intergenerational way." Known by people who have not seen it on a bike! What we can regret is that he will not see all the success of his grandson Mathieu van der Poel "(double world cyclo-cross champion, Ed).

Very moved, Bernard Hinault for his part did not wish to speak early Tuesday.

Shortly after the arrival of Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu, Poulidor's coffin, greeted by the applause of the crowd, entered the church, worn especially by Thévénet and Hinault, to the sound of an accordion he loved, "Bruyères corréziennes".

Inside the Romanesque Collegiate Church, in the choir, were two large images - a photo and a painting - of the champion struggling with his two historical rivals, Jacques Anquetil during a mythical duel of the two men at the summit of Puy-de-Mars. de-Dome, and Eddy Merckx.

The ceremony was to last all morning, before the champion was cremated in privacy in the afternoon.

© 2019 AFP