A.S.O./Pauline Ballet

Tour legends: Maurice Garin, eternal pioneer

To dive into the 112th edition of the Grande Boucle, what better way than to recall the previous exploits of our regional athletes? Portrait of Maurice Garin, a winner like no other.

"The little Italian chimney sweep. Behind this transalpine-sounding nickname hides an intelligent, fast and fiercely resilient runner. That's how we could sum up this character who didn't fit any standard. Maurice Garin is one of the precursors. He had the good fortune to begin his career at the end of the 19th century, and to inscribe his name and that of the Hauts-de-France region in the annals of cycling.

The beginnings of a great champion

The little man, 1.60 m tall, was born in 1871 in Arvier, a small village in northern Italy. The child of a large family, he followed his relatives when they decided to cross the Alps in search of a better life. Eventually, he took up the trade that earned him his nickname: chimney sweeping. When he arrived in Maubeuge, he bought his first bicycle and was noticed for his physical qualities. In 1892, the adopted Frenchman took part in his first race, Maubeuge-Hirson-Maubeuge, finishing a respectable fifth. As he developed a taste for bicycle racing, he decided to persevere and continue training.

Maurice Garin (center) with the Tour de France leader's armband.

The Tour, the pinnacle of an exceptional career

His first resounding success came in the^2nd edition of Paris-Roubaix, but he was to add other classics to his list of achievements. With his naturalization in 1901, the adopted cht'i was able to tackle his first Tour de France in 1903. And first edition means first winner. So what could be better than a regional winner? Sold. Maurice Garin won the 6-stage Grande Boucle, ranging from 268 to 471 kilometers! He was the first to set foot on the shared route of the Tour and Hauts-de-France.