Jean
de Gribaldy (July 18, 1922 - January 2, 1987)
was a French road cyclist and directeur sportif.
Born in Besançon, former professional racing cyclist from 1945
to 1954 (three
Tour de France in 1947, 1948 and 1952), he was French vice-champion on
the road
in September 1947, an excellent cyclocross rider and one
of the
best climbers. Jean de Gribaldy began a successful career as a
directeur
sportif in the mid-1960s.
Until 1967, he managed teams made up of professional riders,
independents, or
elite amateurs. The name of the teams varied depending on the country
where the
races took place (France, Switzerland, Germany). It was in 1968, with
the Frimatic-Viva-de
Gribaldy team, that he led his first squad
composed mostly
of professionals, while naturally maintaining the incredible pool of
amateur
talent found in the Amicale Cycliste Bisontine.
From 1968 until his
death in early 1987, Jean de Gribaldy would lead a professional cycling
team.
Called
le Vicomte
("the Viscount"), he discovered in particular Seán Kelly,
Joaquim
Agostinho, Michel Laurent, Bernard Thévenet and Éric
Caritoux. He gave a second
chance to many riders dropped by other teams. Most saw their career
take a new
dimension under Jean de Gribaldy.
A
street
in Besançon, city in which he was a shopkeeper (Place du
Marché), has been
named "Montée Jean de Gribaldy" since 1994. Each year a
bike
race, "la Montée Jean de Gribaldy" is organized in
Besançon, from the business center "the City" to the "Chaudanne
fort". He created l'"Amicale Cycliste Bisontine", the main cycling
club in Besançon, with his friend André Seltier
in 1964.
Jet pilot, stars friend, businessman, Jean de Gribaldy was a man out of
the
common. He was a strong influence on international cycling, sportive
and
commercial Besançon activity.
His philosophy
of cycling, expressed in these words,
is quoted in the foreword to the book "Carnets de Route",
written by Bertrand
Duboux (Éditions Slatkine, 2003) : “Cycling
is like boxing; it’s not a game. It’s a harsh, brutal,
unforgiving sport that
demands immense sacrifice. You play football, tennis, hockey—but
you don’t play
at cycling,
and even less so at boxing".
The book
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