Jacky Durand
Encyclopedia
Jacky Durand is a retired French
professional road bicycle racer. Durand had an attacking style, winning the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1992 after a 217 kilometres (134.8 mi) breakaway, and three stages in the Tour de France
.
Durand turned professional in 1990. He was national road champion in 1993 and 1994 and won Paris–Tours in 1998, the first French winner in 42 years. Durand rode seven Tours de France, finishing last in 1999 race. In 1995
he was the surprise winner of the prologue, starting before it began raining. He wore the yellow jersey
for two days. Durand won the combativity award
in the 1998
and 1999 Tour de France
; the latter year he also took the Lanterne Rouge
. He retired at the end of 2004. He has since worked for Eurosport
as a commentator.
His riding style was encouraged by his first directeur sportif
, Cyrille Guimard
. It brought him a seemingly suicidal win in the Ronde van Vlaanderen (see below). Guimard told him to attack early in the national championship at Châtellerault in 1993, to try his chance and to spoil those of Laurent Brochard
and Luc Leblanc
. The writer, Jean-François Quénet, said Guimard told Durand to attack far from the finish "because he didn't want to see Laurent Brochard in blue, white and red and even less did he want a second consecutive title for Luc Leblanc, who was in disgrace in the Castorama team.".
Of the way he rode, Durand said:
, in 1956. He broke away from the field with Thomas Wegmüller after a third of the race, with 217 km still to ride. His success as an outsider, and after such a long lone ride, stayed in the memory of Belgian fans. Years later Durand was stopped for speeding. The Belgian policeman who came to his car said,"Vous avez gagné le Tour des Flandres en nonante-deux" - You won the Ronde van Vlaanderen in '92 - and let him drive on.
Durand finished his career with Belgian teams. "Winning the Ronde made me a bit of a naturalised Belgian," he said.
1989
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1998
1999
2000
2001
2004
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
professional road bicycle racer. Durand had an attacking style, winning the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1992 after a 217 kilometres (134.8 mi) breakaway, and three stages in the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
.
Durand turned professional in 1990. He was national road champion in 1993 and 1994 and won Paris–Tours in 1998, the first French winner in 42 years. Durand rode seven Tours de France, finishing last in 1999 race. In 1995
1995 Tour de France
The 1995 Tour de France was the 82nd Tour de France, taking place July 1 to July 23, 1995. It was Miguel Indurain's fifth and final victory in the Tour. On the fifteenth stage Italian rider Fabio Casartelli died after an accident on the Col de Portet d'Aspet....
he was the surprise winner of the prologue, starting before it began raining. He wore the yellow jersey
Yellow jersey
The general classification in the Tour de France is the most important classification, the one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification wears the yellow jersey .-History:...
for two days. Durand won the combativity award
Combativity award
The combativity award, , is a prize given in the Tour de France. It favours constant attackers and since 1981 the winner of the award has not won the whole Tour.- History :...
in the 1998
1998 Tour de France
The 1998 Tour de France, also called the Tour du Dopage , was marred by doping scandals throughout known as the Festina affair, starting with the arrest of Willy Voet, a soigneur in the French Festina team. Voet was traveling into France when he was arrested and found with large quantities of...
and 1999 Tour de France
1999 Tour de France
The 1999 Tour de France was the 86th Tour de France, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 1999. It was won by Lance Armstrong, his first of 7 consecutive wins, the most in Tour history. There were no French stage winners for the first time since the 1926 Tour de France.The 1999 edition of Tour de...
; the latter year he also took the Lanterne Rouge
Lanterne rouge
The Lanterne Rouge is the competitor in last place in a cycling race such as the Tour de France. The phrase comes from the French "Red Lantern" and refers to the red lantern hung on the caboose of a railway train, which conductors would look for in order to make sure none of the couplings had...
. He retired at the end of 2004. He has since worked for Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
as a commentator.
Amateur career
Durand was born to a poor farming family in the Mayenne region of northern France. He started racing in the minime class, the very youngest, but never won a race there or in the older cadet category. "It's difficult to win as a kid when you're neither a climber nor a sprinter," he said. "For me, the most beautiful jersey in the world is the French champion's. Yes, when they play the Marseillaise for you after a championship and then you go and show it off for three weeks in the Tour de France, the national flag on your shoulders, it's emotion and pleasure every day." As a senior, however, he won the national amateur team time-trial championship in 1988 with Laurent Bezault, Pascal Lino and Thierry Laurent. He turned professional in 1991.Lone breaks
Jacky Durand became celebrated for long, lone attacks which sometimes succeeded but usually didn't. The French magazine, Vélo, printed a monthly Jackymètre to log the kilometres ridden at the head of races during the course of the season. Durand said: "Fortunately, in cycling, it's not always the best who wins, otherwise we wouldn't win so often."His riding style was encouraged by his first directeur sportif
Directeur sportif
A directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...
, Cyrille Guimard
Cyrille Guimard
Cyrille Guimard is a French former professional road racing cyclist who became a directeur sportif and then a television commentator...
. It brought him a seemingly suicidal win in the Ronde van Vlaanderen (see below). Guimard told him to attack early in the national championship at Châtellerault in 1993, to try his chance and to spoil those of Laurent Brochard
Laurent Brochard
Laurent Brochard is a retired professional road racing cyclist from France. In 1997 he won a stage of the Tour de France and became world road champion in San Sebastián, Spain....
and Luc Leblanc
Luc Leblanc
Luc Leblanc is a retired professional male cyclist from France. In 1994 he became World Road Champion.-Biography:...
. The writer, Jean-François Quénet, said Guimard told Durand to attack far from the finish "because he didn't want to see Laurent Brochard in blue, white and red and even less did he want a second consecutive title for Luc Leblanc, who was in disgrace in the Castorama team.".
Of the way he rode, Durand said:
- I'm not a revolutionary of any sort, but on the bike, I've always refused to come out of a mould. It astonishes me that most riders are followers, even sheep. A lot of them, the only people who know they're in the Tour are their directeurs sportifs. I couldn't do the job like that. They finish the Tour without having attacked once, maybe the whole of the season, even the whole of their career. I'd rather finish shattered and last having attacked a hundred times than finish 25th without having tried. Yes, I get ragged about it, but it's always in a friendly way. In the bunch, the guys know that Dudu is as likely to finish a long way behind them as first.
Ronde van Vlaanderen
Jacky Durand won the Ronde van Vlaanderen, or Tour of Flanders, in 1992, 36 years after the last French winner, Jean ForestierJean Forestier
Jean Forestier is a former French cyclist. He was a professional from 1953 to 1965. Forestier won the points classification in the 1957 Tour de France, and wore the yellow jersey for two days.- Major victories :Source:19531954...
, in 1956. He broke away from the field with Thomas Wegmüller after a third of the race, with 217 km still to ride. His success as an outsider, and after such a long lone ride, stayed in the memory of Belgian fans. Years later Durand was stopped for speeding. The Belgian policeman who came to his car said,"Vous avez gagné le Tour des Flandres en nonante-deux" - You won the Ronde van Vlaanderen in '92 - and let him drive on.
Durand finished his career with Belgian teams. "Winning the Ronde made me a bit of a naturalised Belgian," he said.
Doping and disqualification
Durand took drugs during the Tour de la Côte Picarde in 1996 and was given a one-month probationary suspension. He was disqualified during the Tour de France in 2002 for holding on to a car during the mountainous stage to the Plateau de Beille in the Pyrenees. There had been complaints from riders, including the Czech, Jan Svorada, that he had done the same the previous year.Retirement
Durand retired from racing in 2005 after receiving no team offers. He followed that year's Tour de France as representative of the supermarket chain, Champion. He is now a television commentator for Eurosport.Private life
Durand stayed loyal to his first club, CC Renzé, throughout his career. He lives in Grenoble.Palmarès
1988- National amateur team-trial champion
1989
- Paris - Alençon
1991
- Grand Prix d'IsberguesGrand Prix d'IsberguesGrand Prix d'Isbergues is a professional cycle road race held in Isbergues, Pas-de-Calais. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-External links:*...
1992
- Ronde van Vlaanderen
1993
- Bol d'or des Monédières
- Bordeaux - Cauderan
- Dun Le Palestel
- National road champion
1994
- Lisieux
- Monein
- National road champion
- Saint-Chamond
- Tour de France1994 Tour de FranceThe 1994 Tour de France was the 81st Tour de France and included two stages in England , Stage 4, Dover to Brighton and Stage 5, around Portsmouth. It took place July 2 to July 24, 1994...
- Winner stage 10
1995
- Tour de France1995 Tour de FranceThe 1995 Tour de France was the 82nd Tour de France, taking place July 1 to July 23, 1995. It was Miguel Indurain's fifth and final victory in the Tour. On the fifteenth stage Italian rider Fabio Casartelli died after an accident on the Col de Portet d'Aspet....
- Winner prologue
- Vienne
1996
- Dun Le Palestel
- Amiens
1998
- Callac
- Paris–Tours
- Tour de France1998 Tour de FranceThe 1998 Tour de France, also called the Tour du Dopage , was marred by doping scandals throughout known as the Festina affair, starting with the arrest of Willy Voet, a soigneur in the French Festina team. Voet was traveling into France when he was arrested and found with large quantities of...
- Winner stage 8
Winner combativity awardCombativity awardThe combativity award, , is a prize given in the Tour de France. It favours constant attackers and since 1981 the winner of the award has not won the whole Tour.- History :...
- Vayrac
1999
- Ronde d'Aix-en-Provence
- Chateau-Chinon
- Tour de France1999 Tour de FranceThe 1999 Tour de France was the 86th Tour de France, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 1999. It was won by Lance Armstrong, his first of 7 consecutive wins, the most in Tour history. There were no French stage winners for the first time since the 1926 Tour de France.The 1999 edition of Tour de...
- Winner combativity awardCombativity awardThe combativity award, , is a prize given in the Tour de France. It favours constant attackers and since 1981 the winner of the award has not won the whole Tour.- History :...
2000
- Camors
- Rognes
- Toulouse
2001
- Tro-Bro Léon
- Tartu Rattaralli
2004
- Hellemmes