Josef Fischer (cyclist)

Josef Fischer was a German road bicycle racer, born on 20 January 1865 and died on 3 March 1953. He is best known for winning the first edition of the Paris-Roubaix race in 1896 and for winning Bordeaux-Paris in 1900, two of the early long-distance road classics of the sport. After his racing career ended he stayed at first in Paris, where he worked as a chauffeur for noble customers. During the First World War he had to leave France and he returned to Germany. His name is therefore attached to the very beginning of one of cycling's most celebrated one-day races, which makes him a founding figure in the history of professional road racing.