Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Updated: French cyclist Robert Marchand sets new Hour Record - at age of 105

22.547km is the first record set for Masters aged 105-plus

French cyclist Robert Marchand has this afternoon become the first person to set an Hour Record for the Masters aged 105 years and above category - one specially created for him by the UCI. The 105-year-old set a distance of 22.547 kilometres at France's national velodrome in Saint Quentin en Yvelines, near Paris.

His record attempt was streamed live by the French network BFM TV, and video of him completing his ride can be watched here.

Five years ago, the UCI created the existing Masters aged 100 and over category especially for Marchand, who set his first record in 2010, when he rode 24.251 kilometres at the World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland.

His previous experience of riding on a track had come eight decades earlier, and afterwards, he said: “I just wanted to do something for my 100th birthday.”

> French cyclist breaks age group record for The Hour - three months after his 100th birthday

In 2014, he bettered the record by 10 per cent when he rode 26.925 kilometres at Saint Quentin en Yvelines - a record that still stands.

The same venue will host today’s record attempt on the record, which is due to commence at 4pm local time, and assuming Marchand completes the 60 minutes will also see the creation of a record in a new category for Masters aged 105 and over.

It’s now more than 90 years since he first entered a bike race, which he had to do under an assumed name because he was below the age limit for entry.

He has taken part in every edition of the Ardéchoise sportive since its debut in 1992, when he  was aged 79, and has a mountain pass named after him, the Col Robert Marchand, which is at 911 metres above sea level – he was born in 1911.

Accompanying Marchand today will be Véronique Billat, a university professor who specialises in physiology and performance, and is an expert in VO2 max, which measures the maximum volume of oxygen someone can use while exercising.

She has been studying Marchand since he turned 100, and told Le Figaro that following his latest VO2 max results she was “super excited” for today’s record attempt.

 “The improvement of the record from 2012 to 2014 had shown that it was possible to improve his performances despite advancing age with personalised exercises.

“We are now certain that it is possible to improve Robert’s VO2 max thanks to his latest results, which measured 40 millilitres of oxygen per minute per kilogram of body weight, which is an increase from 2014.

“This is incredible news since these measures are similar to those of a sedentary person aged 50 years.”

While Marchand may be very much an exceptional case, Professor Billat said that his data showed the value of continuing to exercise – or even taking it up in the first place – late in life.

“The [results] show that in any case exercise is a factor in youth. This is a beautiful message for Humanity: where there’s life, there’s hope, since the tendency of the VO2 max curve to decline, which seems inexorable from the age of 30, can be reversed.

“We knew that already for people aged 50, but not for subjects aged 105. These data are exceptional, above all given they show the values of someone half his age.”

She added: “The secret of youth, is above all to follow a personalised exercise regime in accordance with your abilities.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

Add new comment

20 comments

Avatar
kitsunegari | 7 years ago
0 likes

Chapeau!

Avatar
handlebarcam | 7 years ago
2 likes

Makes me proud to be European.

No, seriously, this man is an inspiration to all cyclists everywhere. Shimano should name a groupset in honour of this magnificent achievement.

Avatar
peted76 replied to handlebarcam | 7 years ago
2 likes
handlebarcam wrote:

Makes me proud to be European.

No, seriously, this man is an inspiration to all cyclists everywhere. Shimano should name a groupset in honour of this magnificent achievement.

The Shimano 105 Robert...

Avatar
Dnnnnnn replied to peted76 | 7 years ago
0 likes
peted76 wrote:
handlebarcam wrote:

Makes me proud to be European.

No, seriously, this man is an inspiration to all cyclists everywhere. Shimano should name a groupset in honour of this magnificent achievement.

The Shimano 105 Robert...

laugh

Avatar
FatBoyW | 7 years ago
0 likes

Now I don't want to disrespect such an elder statesman, but watching the little bit of video he does not appear to get off the cote - thought you had to be on the unpainted boards to be on the track... So does he need to do it again but actually on the track

Avatar
aladdin pain | 7 years ago
4 likes

I too was honored to learn they'd created a special new category for me because I'd been pushing the limits of what had been thought possible.  Unfortunately it turned out those limits pertained to weight.

Avatar
Valbrona | 7 years ago
1 like

I didn't think Masters' racing could get any sillier ...

Avatar
davel replied to Valbrona | 7 years ago
4 likes
Valbrona wrote:

I didn't think Masters' racing could get any sillier ...

Pipe down, you grumpy young whippersnapper.

Avatar
Valbrona replied to davel | 7 years ago
0 likes
davel wrote:
Valbrona wrote:

I didn't think Masters' racing could get any sillier ...

Pipe down, you grumpy young whippersnapper.

Oh, I am well in the Masters category.

Avatar
Leviathan | 7 years ago
2 likes

I reckon I could beat this. Anyone wanna bet? Book my track time in 2081.

Avatar
JuJu | 7 years ago
4 likes

Great performance. So funny to hear the guy answering to the media:
"You are phenomenal!
- I am not phenomenal. Just normal. I just eat what I want." (Laughing all the time, eveytime.)
I hope I can do the same in seventy years from now.

Avatar
Yorkshire wallet | 7 years ago
3 likes

Respect. I hope I can keep knocking life out like this guy when I start to get on. 

Avatar
drosco | 7 years ago
3 likes

How cool?

Avatar
HalfWheeler | 7 years ago
4 likes

14mph for a solid hour, well in!

There's young adults, in the prime of their live's, that couldn't do that. In fact I work with some of them! 

Avatar
buzhidao | 7 years ago
0 likes

No more mention of the expert who said he could only go faster with age? 

Just kidding, great job!

Avatar
Boss Hogg | 7 years ago
3 likes

Respect!

Avatar
TheFatAndTheFurious | 7 years ago
0 likes

// live stream finished...

Good crowd too - Alex Dowsett didn't get as many in.... 

Avatar
waldner71 | 7 years ago
3 likes

Absolutely phenomenal!

Avatar
Yorkiechan | 7 years ago
3 likes

Wow....Massive respect to this man laugh

Avatar
CygnusX1 | 7 years ago
6 likes

Chapeau, monsieur!

Latest Comments