Raymond Poulidor
Raymond Poulidor, often nick-named
Pou Pou (born
April 15,
1936, Masbaraud-Merignat,
France), was a professional
bicycle racer. He was known as the 'eternal second', as he finished the
Tour de France in second place three times, and in third place five times.
His tragedy was that as a great cyclist, he worked the roads of France in the eras of two of the greatest, Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx. This underdog position, however, may also have been the reason why he was the darling of the public.