Emile Idée, the oldest surviving Tour de France stage winner, has died at his home near Paris aged 104.
Idée was one of his country's top racers in the 1940s, turning pro in 1942 and becoming a renowned time triallist and racing the Tour three times.
Idée's career, like so many others, was badly affected by World War II. But he nonetheless managed to conquer both the National Championships and the now-defunct GP Nations, widely considered for many years to be the unofficial World Championships time trial title, on multiple occasions.
Idée was a pro for 12 years for the Alcyon-Dunlop, La Perle–Hutchinson, Olmo-Fulgor and Peugeot-Dunlop teams. According to L'Équipe, Idée was fond of pointing out that he had rubbed shoulders during his career with top French cycling figures like triple French Tour de France winner Louison Bobet as well as Maurice De Muer and Jean De Gribaldy, who later became two of France's most renowned sports directors.
Internationally, Idée competed against riders of the calibre of Belgian Classics stars Briek Schotte and Rik van Steenbergen - behind whom Idée finished second in the 1948 Paris-Roubaix - and all-time Italian great Fausto Coppi.
Five times Idée won one of France's top stage races, the Critérium National - later known as the Criterium International, which held its last edition in 2016 - prior to his death. Idée was the oldest surviving rider from the first ever post-WWII Tour de France, held in 1947.
But the crowning moment of Idée's career came in his third and final participation in the Tour de France in 1949, triumphing from a five-rider break on stage 13 into Nimes.
"I was a fast finisher at the time," he told L'Équipe, "and in the break, there was an Italian rider. I told him 'If you try and jump away, I'll give you a right thumping." Whether or not his rival took Idée at his word is not clear, but in any case, Idée was the fastest in the break and won the one Tour de France stage of his career.
Idée then retired in 1952 and went on to open a series of bike shops, living for almost all of the remainder of his life in Melun, near Paris.
