Henri Cornet

Henri Cornet was a French road cyclist, born Henri Jardry on 4 August 1884 in the Pas-de-Calais region and registered at birth under his mother's name before his stepfather adopted him. He is best known as the winner of the 1904 Tour de France, and at 19 years and 355 days he remains the youngest rider ever to win the race. Race organizer Henri Desgrange gave him the nickname Le Rigolo, the joker, for his sense of fun. He was declared the winner after the French cycling union disqualified the top four finishers following widespread complaints of cheating. Cornet later won Paris-Roubaix and came second in Bordeaux-Paris in 1906, finished eighth in the 1908 Tour de France and rode his last Tour in 1912. He died in 1941 after a hospital operation, at the age of 56.