Jean Bidot (1905 – 1986) was a French professional cyclist from 1926 to 1939 and was nicknamed the "Strategist". Winner of the Criterium des Aiglons in 1926, aged 21,[1] he won the Circuit de Paris in 1928.[1] In 1929 he was second in the French national road championship behind his brother Marcel.[1] In 1930 traveled to Australia, finishing 3rd in the Sydney to Melbourne and the Tour of Tasmania.In 1931 he won Paris-Belfort and Paris-Vichy, a race he won again in 1932, along with Paris-Angers. In 1933, he won the circuit of Deux-Sèvres. Bidot won the Tour de Vaucluse in 1934 and 1935. He managed the French team in 1950 and 1951.

Jean Bidot
Jean Bidot in Australia for the Sydney to Melbourne
Personal information
Full nameJean Bidot
Born(1905-01-23)23 January 1905
Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
Died17 October 1986(1986-10-17) (aged 81)
Paris
Team information
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Professional teams
1927-1928Alcyon - Dunlop
1928Alleluia - Wolber
1929La Française-Diamant-Dunlop
1930-1933Alcyon - Dunlop
1934-1936Helyett - Hutchinson
1935-1937Genial Lucifer - Hutchinson
1935Essor - Hutchinson
1939Génial Lucifer - Hutchinson
1939; 1946Terrot - Hutchinson
Managerial team
1950-1951French road cycling team

Racing edit

Jean Bidot professional career commenced in 1926 by winning the Criterium des Aiglons,[1] a race reserved for professional riders under 30 who had not yet won a major race. He finished in 2nd place the following year by winning the first stage of the race.[1] In 1928, he won the Circuit de Paris,[1] was 3rd in the Circuit de Champagne[1] and Paris-Le Havre[1] and participated in his first Tour de France where he finished 22nd overall and in second place in the last stage in Paris.

In 1930 Bidot traveled to Australia with Joseph Mauclair to compete in two stage races, the Sydney to Melbourne covering 700 miles (1,100 km) and the Tour of Tasmania covering 303 miles (488 km).[1] Bidot finished 3rd behind Mauclair and Hubert Opperman in the Sydney to Melbourne and 3rd behind Opperman and Mauclair in the Tour of Tasmania where he won the second stage.

He had two victories in 1931, winning Paris-Belfort and Paris-Vichy. [2] He won Paris-Vichy again the following year, as well as Paris-Angers. [2] In 1933, he won Paris-Troyes and twice won the Tour de Vaucluse in 1934 and 1935. [2]

Management edit

Jean Bidot managed the French national team in 1950 and 1951. France insisted that the managers of its national teams had no interest in any of the riders' sponsors so when he accepted a job with the Simplex derailleur company, he had to give up managing the team. His brother Marcel took his place in 1952.

Major results edit

1926
1st Critérium des Aiglons
1927
Critérium des Aiglons
1st stage 1
2nd overall
1928
1st Circuit de Paris
3rd Circuit de Champagne
3rd Paris-Le Havre
22nd Tour de France [3]
1929
2nd French national road championship
10th championnat du monde sur route
1930
3rd Sydney to Melbourne
Tour of Tasmania
1st stage 2
3rd overall
1931
1st Paris-Belfort
1st Paris-Vichy
2nd Paris-Laigle
Tour de France abandoned stage 12 [3]
1932
1st Paris-Angers
1st Paris-Vichy
1st Poitiers - Saumur - Poitiers
3rd Paris-Belfort
1933
1st Paris-Troyes
1st Belfort - Strasbourg - Belfort
3rd Critérium national
1934
Tour du Vaucluse
1st Paris-Bourganeuf
3rd Circuit du Morbihan
35th Tour de France [3]
1935
1st Tour du Vaucluse
1936
2nd Paris-Troyes
2nd Paris-Limoges
1937
3rd Paris-Nantes

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Aces both". The Sporting Globe. Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 17 September 1930. p. 1.
  2. ^ a b c "Jean Bidot Profile at cycling archives". cycling archives.com. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "Official Tour de France results for Jean Bidot". A.S.O. / Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.

External links edit