Small-Breton Lucien

Lucien Mazan , known as Small-Breton Lucien (October 18th 1882 with Plessé Loire-Inférieure - December 20th 1917 with Troyes) is a cyclist French.

Biography

Clement MAZAN, his father, exert with talent and success with Plessé, in the Loire Inférieure, the occupation of clock and watch maker jeweller. In 1880, It is presented to the legislative elections where it essuie one shingling reverse. Such a failure is difficult to support in a small town of province where the reputations are done and demolish word of mount. It quickly loses an important part of its customers. It is at that time that the Argentine research of qualified people, craftsmen particularly. At the end of 1882, it embarks with his Désirée wife for Buenos Aires creating a new store in the same profession. The children Mazan, Paul (born in 1879) and Lucien (1882) are entrusted to the guard of aunt Félicité, sister of Desired. Two years later, Désirée returns to seek them and all the family is joined together with Buenos Aires. The family increases. Paul and Lucien have a Anselme brother (1884) and two sisters Adrienne (1886) and Gabrielle (1888). By need the Mazan children were high " with the dure" , put at work as of their more young age. Is 14 years old, Lucien works in the capacity as groom to the Jockey club, the largest hotel of Buenos Aires.

Lucien MAZAN impassions himself as of his more young age, for the exploits of racing cyclists and the excursions Bordeaux-Paris, Paris-Brest-Paris 1891 and devours the magazines of sport. He buys a bicycle and launches out at once in the competition cyclist, on track particularly where he gains nice successes quickly. To hide this sporting practice with his father who disapproves it firmly, it is made invite " Breton". He becomes champion of Argentine on track, then on road in 1899 and builds a solid reputation: runner fighter, combatant, very appreciated of the public.

In 1902, it unloads at Paris, a few days only before the inauguration of a new cycle-racing track Buffalo de Neuilly, decided to come to try its chance in France. At the time, cycling is practiced mainly on the very many cycle-racing tracks which account our national territory. Another runner being called " Breton" , it decides, in order to avoid any confusion, to be made call " Small Breton" , pseudonym which it will transmit to his son. What does not prevent the public from also calling it " The argentin" or " Elegant Argentin" because of the beauty of its style and its sartorial elegance!

It begins at the professionals in 1902 and gains on track the Gold Bowl into 1904 before establishing the following year new world records of the hour with 41,110 km carried out with the Buffalo Cycle-racing track of Paris. Winner of Paris-Turns in 1906, of the first edition of traditional Milan-San Remo in 1907, it also gains two Turns of France in 1907 and 1908, removing two stages on the Grande Boucle 1907, five in 1908. Small-Breton Lucien is the first cyclist to gain the Tour de France twice.

It is in the church of Vallet (the Loire Inférieure), capital of the Muscadet, which is celebrated, on November 24th, 1908, union of Small-Breton Lucien and Marie-madeleine Macheteau, the girl junior by a hatter.

He dies on the face in 1917 in an automobile accident. Lucien is with the face since many month when this morning of December 20th, 1917, Marie Madeleine leaves her residence of the Boulogne-on-Seine. It is merry, having finally obtained one leave-to pass from the military authorities enabling him to return visit to her husband, confined with Piney, small town close to Troyes. Arrived in station of this city, a military car awaits it " Please take patience, says him one, your husband is in ordered service, but should not delay with rentrer". Lucien has the role of ensuring of the postal connections and of conveying officers. He left at the wheel the car around 2 p.m., an officer on board. One does not dare to say to his wife who it should already be of return. Waiting continues, concern starts to come up, leaving place to the anguish quickly. Has 22 hours, an officer inclines itself in front of Marie Madeleine, requesting it to follow it. Together, they regain Troyes, in the car, and the officer cannot dissimulate the truth: " Your husband was victim of an accident on the road, Madam, he was transported to the hôpital" and it finishes by this cruelly banal formula leaving the free field to the worst assumptions: " it is thought that its state is serious… but not désespéré". After an unbearable wandering in the corridors and the rooms of the military hospital of Troyes, no one not being indicated with precision, Marie-madeleine is finally put in the presence of her husband. Lengthened on a bed, barechested, the bust surrounded by a thick binding, Lucien ceased living. Around 6 p.m., with the return of its mission and in the darkness incipient, he sees, coming in opposite direction, a cart drawn by a horse. Unfortunately, the horse goes on the left part of the road, delivered to itself, the drunk peasant being deadened. A double event occurs then, causes collision. When he sees the cart, Lucien actuates his horn, causing the alarm clock of the peasant. It is at the time when Lucien undertakes to cross by the left that the horse, whipped by his driver, oblique on the line. The collision of full whip is inevitable. Lucien has the bust inserted by the wheel and the head projected against the instrument panel. He dies instantaneously. - Extracted the book from Roger Country house, Small-Breton, Denoël, coll " The beautiful time of the cyclisme" , Paris, 1985). Thus disappears Small-Breton Lucien. Its skin rests with the cemetery of Pénestin (the Loire Inférieure).

Among the 1.310.000 dead ones listed during the world war, one also deplores two other former winners of Tour de France: François Faber and Octave Lapize, respectively winners in 1909 and 1910.

His/her two brothers, Paul and Anselme, like his Yves son, were also of good racing cyclists. Small-Breton Yves was also sport director of the team of the West to the Tour de France 1948.

Prize list

a prize list of 100 years ago can be interpreted only while bringing back it to the context of the time, so much the races are different. How to compare the Tour de France current with short stages, often very nervous, run on beautiful roads with bicycles of 7 kilos, the Turn of the time and its bicycles weighing the double for long stages, on roads always tarred, sometimes only empierrées, in mountain particularly. If turn 1903 disputes in 6 stages of approximately 400 km each one, the following years the stages become more but shorter. At the time of the first victorious turn of Small Breton, the daily distances are the following ones all the same: 272,398,259,309,311,345,345,303,299,269,391,321,415, and 262 km (109 leaving, 33 newcomers, general average of the winner 28,470 km/h) - Extract of an article of Andre Vincent, collector, paying homage to Lucien Mazan, known as Small-Breton at the time of the centenary of its first victory in the Tour de France cyclist, January 1st, 2007. It remains in race until 1914 and takes part in its ultimate Tour de France where it gives up after nine stages. The Great War puts a final term at its career.

  • World records of the hour: 41,110 km with the Cycle-racing track Buffalo of Paris (1905)

  • World records of the 20 km: 28 ' 59" 4 (1905)
  • World records of the 10 km: 14 ' 04" 4 (1905)

  • 2nd on Bordeaux-Paris: 1912

  • 2nd on Paris-Hesdin: 1907
  • 3rd of the championship of France on road: 1910
  • 3rd of Paris-Menin: 1912

Results on the Tour de France

Results on the Lathe of Italy

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