Laurent Brochard

Laurent Brochard, born on 26 March 1968, is a retired French professional road racing cyclist. He began as a runner and started racing competitively at 19, riding first for Castorama and then for Festina, where he served as a super-domestique for stars such as Richard Virenque while still able to ride for himself when given the chance. In 1997 he won a stage of the Tour de France and became world road champion in San Sebastián, Spain. He was implicated in the Festina scandal at the 1998 Tour de France and, after serving his suspension, returned as leader of Ag2r Prévoyance, winning races such as the Critérium International and the Étoile de Bessèges, before moving to Bouygues Télécom. He is known as a fan of the Belgian comic character Marsupilami and often wore its logo at races.