A few hours after the announcement of the death of Raymond Poulidor at the age of 83, the former French rider reported on our antenna his "great sadness". "There will be no other French champion as popular," said one of the last favorites of the public of the Tour de France, yellow jersey 20 times during his career.

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Hero "intergenerational", Raymond Poulidor will remain as a unique case of the French cycling, according to the former consultant of Europe 1 and current coach of the team of France, Thomas Voeckler. "We will not have another French champion as popular, it is not possible," said Thomas Voeckler in the Big Evening Newspaper .

A "great kindness"

Born three years after the end of Raymond Poulidor's professional career in 1977, Thomas Voeckler, one of the most popular French runners in the 20th century, has the impression of having followed him as if he were present, he saw "pictures, pictures". If he seemed to stand out on the bike "by his panache", the former best climber of the Tour de France can testify that Raymond Poulidor marked the spirits "by his kindness outside the bike", and this, despite the many solicitations that he could receive, "from morning to evening".

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A "sharp" look at cycling

Still present in the caravan of the Tour de France last summer, Raymond Poulidor has until the last moment showed a "very sharp" look on cycling, according to Thomas Voeckler, even if "the cycling of today is not the same as it was 40-50 years ago. "He was always in the game," says the consultant Europe 1.

While Julian Alaphilippe was still yellow, Raymond Poulidor was one of the few to make Egan Bernal his favorite before the arrival in the Alps. "He knew the racing tactics, the potential of the riders," says the manager of the France team. "A good one who could have said the name of the winner three or four steps from the end, and gave it to him."