Jean Alavoine

Jean Alavoine was a French professional road cyclist, born in Roubaix on 1 April 1888, who raced as a professional from 1908 to 1925 and won 29 races. He won 17 stages of the Tour de France, a total that only eight riders have bettered, and wore the yellow jersey for five days. In the 1922 Tour de France he won three stages in a row, stages 5, 6 and 7, and took the lead, but mechanical problems in stage 11 cut his advantage and he lost 37 minutes and the lead in stage 12; he finished the race in second place. He died in 1943 during a veteran race in Argenteuil.