Robert
Marchand – best hour performance at 100 years old
At the age of 14 he entered his first cycling event
under a false name because he was too young: yesterday he established the
first-ever best hour performance…. in the category over 100 years!
And that pretty much sums up the personage of Robert
Marchand. Full of energy and in possession of a huge motivation, when he has an
idea in his head, nothing will stop him.
“But I’m not playing at being a champion,”
assures this lightweight (1m51 for 51kg) but far from frail man whose world performance
stands at 24.251km. “I just wanted to do something for my 100th
birthday.”
Well why not?
Which is one of the reasons why, less than three
months after his birthday, he made the trip from his studio in Mitry-Mory (near
Paris) to the World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland, to attempt the world
hour performance on the centre’s velodrome. The request to make the attempt
came from Gérard Mistler, Président of the Ardéchoise Cyclo-Promotion – annual
cyclo-sportif event that Robert Marchand never misses.
“I think he is a human example of the benefits
of cycling,” enthuses Mistler. “The fact that this performance is achieved at
the WCC, headquarters of the International Cycling Union, is truly symbolic.”
With Gérard Mistler taking care of the
administrative side of this record attempt, the athlete himself was able to
concentrate on his preparation, which included familiarising himself with the
centre’s track during the four days directly preceding the official date. While
his ability to cycle non-stop for an hour was never going to pose a problem,
Robert Marchand had to dig deep into his personal cycling history to retrieve
the sensations of riding on the track.
“I haven’t cycled on a track for 80 years. You have
to get used to the fixed gear! I prefer cycling outside but that is impossible
at the moment,” he complained as he watched the snow fall in bucketsful outside
the WCC. “I don’t want to catch the flu. So I am short on training.”
His build-up at the WCC included a first
initiation under the watchful eye and guidance of Magali Humbert, former World
Juniors Champion in the sprint and multiple French Champion. The following
days, he rode round the track accompanied by his “coach” Magali, increasing his
time in the saddle as the day of his challenge approached.
“The track is small. You just turn round and
round,” he commented after one of the training sessions. “I could keep going
for another hour. I’ve been told not to raise my pulse too high so I’m not even
tired.”
For all his physical exploits, this amazing
pint-sized personality is obedient and follows medical advice. He has been told
not to go raise his pulse over 110, and it is a rule he respects with
reverence. Well, most of the time: “I did climb a steep hill not long ago and
went up to 134 but it’s best to avoid that,” he admits with a mischievous
chuckle. “But I would be very surprised if I had heart attack,” he offers
spontaneously. His optimism would appear well-founded: his first ever
cardiograph last week revealed that his heart was in excellent condition.
Optimism aside, he knows his limits and remains
cautious. “For the last five years I have decided not to go for rides of more
than 100km. There is no point going overboard. I want to keep cycling for some
time yet.”
These words of wisdom come from a man who last
competed in the Bordeaux – Paris race at nearly 90 years of age, completing the
600km in 36 hours! His name can be found in the results list of France’s mythic
cyclo-sportif events and even has a mountain pass named after him.
Now to the question on everyone’s lips…. what is
his secret? How is it possible to be in such frighteningly good physical, and
mental, health at 100 years old?
“I’ve never abused anything. I don’t smoke, I
never drank much. The only thing I did in excess was work. I retired at 89
years old!”
Retired? But of course, Robert Marchand was no
professional cyclist. Besides his favourite sport, he has lived a myriad of
experiences. He could talk for hours about the wars, his first job as a boy looking
after cattle, his time as a gymnastics monitor with the Paris Fire Department,
his eight years in Venezuela as a driver, his three years in Canada where he
was a woodcutter…
“I have to try to resume everything or we’ll be
here all night.” It would certainly be worth staying up all night to listen to
this man who has a memory that would put anyone to shame and stories to keep
any audience captivated.
Then we get onto the subject of the other sports
he was involved in when he was younger: boxing, gymnastics (French champion in
the pyramid – he was the lightweight at the top), weightlifting (“I was good. I
could have been a champion”).
“But basically, I am like everybody. I am lucky
that I haven’t had any major health problems. My advice to anyone, young or
old, is to keep moving. I do ‘physical culture’ every day. It works out my
whole body and keeps me supple. Some people when they reach 80 years old, start
playing cards and they stay immobile. Not me. I’ve never been able to keep
still…”
