Sylvère Maes

Sylvère Maes was a Belgian road racing cyclist, born on 27 August 1909 and died on 5 December 1966, most famous for winning the Tour de France in 1936 and 1939. The youngest of ten children, he rode his first race in 1928 and turned professional at the end of 1932. In 1933 he won Paris-Roubaix and the Critérium International de Cyclo-cross, then focused on the Tour. He was eighth in 1934 and fourth in 1935, won in 1936, and in 1937 left the race with the Belgian team while leading, after disputes with French spectators and the jury over penalty time and the conduct of the race against rival Roger Lapébie. The Tour record credits him with 20 days in the yellow jersey in 1936 and eight in 1939.