Jacques Anquetil Birthday & Fun Facts

Jacques Anquetil Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

Jacques Anquetil

Place Of Birth

Seine-Maritime, France

Age

89 years old

Birth Date

January 8 1934

Jacques Anquetil Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Cyclist

Education & Qualifications

Net Worth

$5,000,000

Current Partner

Jeanine Nanou Breda

Children

Sophie Anquetil

Parents

Ernest Anquetil, Marie Anquetil

Jacques Anquetil was a popular French cyclist who started as an amateur but eventually went on to become a champion cyclist.

Marking his place in history, Jacques Anquetil had won Tour de France five times. Jacques was the pioneer cyclist who won the event so many times, the first in 1957 and then from 1961 to 1964 consecutively!

During his successful career, Jacques Anquetil was given the title of Monsieur Chrono. At the young age of four, Jacques had his first experience with a bicycle where he would go around his village riding the bicycle. Little did the village or Jacques know that his time with the cycle was longer than just a ride. At 17, Jacques got his official racing license in 1950.

Jacques Anquetil died at 53 on November 18, 1987, after suffering from stomach cancer in Rouen, Seine-Maritime in France. Later Jacques was laid in France's Quincampoix village. A monument in Paris at the center of the Piste Municipale track is also named after him. The Jacques Anquetil sports stadium in the same village (Quincampoix village) is also dedicated to Jacques Anquetil and was integrated in 1983. Talks about opening a museum about him and his life are in progress.

Have the above facts intrigued the curious child in you? There is more to learn about the former Tour de France champion, and we bet you will be surprised to read about what is in store for you ahead! So what are you waiting for! Keep scrolling the article to learn more about the legendary cyclist Jacques Anquetil's career, net worth, how he started as a cyclist, his family, his records in racing, early life, hobbies and interests, exciting trivia facts, his best highlights of career, memorable races and much more!

What was Jacques Anquetil's net worth?

Jacques Anquetil's net worth came to around $5 million, notably due to his astounding achievement in cycling.

How much did Jacques Anquetil earn per year?

The information about Jacques Anquetil's annual earnings is not available.

How tall was Jacques Anquetil?

Jacques Anquetil was 5 ft 7 in (176 cm) tall.

How old was Jacques Anquetil?

Jacques Anquetil was only 53 years old when he died from stomach cancer.

Jacques Anquetil was born in Seine-Maritime on January 8, 1934. He was born in France and thus was a French national. Jacques was born to Ernest Anquetil and Marie Anquetil. Jacques's father was a builder by profession. He worked in Normandy, France, at Mount-Saint-Aignan. Jacques's uncle Phillippe also lived there. Jacques's entire family then moved to Boisguillaume to do strawberry farming. In 1941, Jacques's father did not have a job, so the family decided to farm to sustain themselves.

Jacques Anquetil studied at a technical college on the subject of metal-turning. His college was situated at Sotteville-lès-Rouen. Jacques later got a license for racing in December 1950. He also qualified in light engineering and subsequently went to Sotteville to join a factory where he served for a brief time.

Who was Jacques Anquetil's partner?

Jacques Anquetil married Jeanine Nanou Breda, who was, in fact, older than Jacques. Jeanine was seven years older than Jacques. Both of them met earlier but started seeing each other in 1957. after they started dating, Jacques had a victorious run by winning the first Tour de France; he had won by 15 minutes. Sophie Anquetil is one of their most known children. However, Jacques and Jeanine have two children. Jeanine left her husband in 1958, and Jacques was soon caught up in his not-so-liked lifestyle. Jacques's romantic life became a subject of gossip, but Jacques did little to tone the talks down! Some would say Jacques instead provoked them.

Best Known For…

Jacques Anquetil started his career in cycling as an amateur, but Jacques didn't take much time to become a skilled cyclist. He immediately won in Rouen's 'Prix Maurice Latour and other tournaments.

In 1898 Jacques joined a club run by a cycle dealer named Andre Boucher. The dealer ran his shop in Place du Trianon in Sotteville. Apart from Jacques Anquetil, the club was joined by Claude Leber, who by 1955 had become a professional sportsperson in cycling, Francis Bazire, who in 1963 became the second world amateur champion, and Jean Jourden, the world amateur champion in 1961.

In 1951 Andre Boucher started training some of the members of the club. He trained first from a bicycle and later from a Derny. As an amateur, Anquetil showed his prowess by winning 16 times and thus was fast to make some progress. On May 3, 1951, Jacques won the Prix Maurice Latour at Rouen and in 1952 participated in three events, namely, Tour de la Manche, Prix de France, and the national road championship.

Jacques Anquetil has won several accolades over the years. He has won Rouen's 'Prix Maurice Latour,' earned a bronze medal in 1952 at a 100km team road race, and was given the French national amateur road championship title. In 1953 Jacques Anquetil won Grand Prix de Lugano, and this was not once but seven times in the coming years! The second time was immediately the following year in 1954, and then he won four times consecutively from 1958 to 1961. In 1965 he won the tournament for the sixth time and seventh in 1966. Jacques has also won Grand Prix des Nations eight times.

In 1952 Jacques Anquetil also became a part of the French team for the Summer Olympics, and it was here that he earned the bronze medal for his hundred-kilometer road race. After his praise-worthy performance, Boucher recommended Jacques to Francis Pelissier, who was then La Perle's cycling team manager as well as former Tour De Drance's cyclist. Francis Pelissier offered Jacques to ride as an independent cyclist for La Perle at 30,000 old francs per month.

All of Jacques's wins at stage races, such as ones in Tour De France, were laid on Jacques's ability to solo ride against time at individual time trial stages. Due to this, Jacques even got the name Monsieur Chrono.

Jacques Anquetil was not all wins; he even had the weakness to deal with. Jacques's only weakness was as a road sprinter. Jacques had always been an excellent climber, but his true strength lay in being a time trialist. This forte made him one of the most legendary riders, who became a nine-time winner of the Grand Prix des Nations. In 1956 Jacques used his forte to set a world hour record.

Some of Jacques's other notable victories include 1963-65 Dauphiné-Libéré, 1957, 1961, 1963 1965-66 Paris-Nice, 965 Bordeaux-Paris, 1966 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and 1964 Gent-Wevelgem. Jacques has also won the Super Prestige Pernod International trophy in 1963, 1965-66, and 1961 and is emblematic of the year's top cyclist.

Jacques Anquetil retired from professional cycling and engaged in various organizations in diverse capacities. Jacques became the race director of the race Paris-Nice, correspondent of L'Équipe as well, and the managing committee member of 'Fédération Française de Cyclisme.' On November 18, 1987, Jacques died due to prolonged stomach cancer. Many prominent people from diverse backgrounds attended his funeral. Jacques was buried in a village in France on the north-western side. He was buried in Quincampoix.

What awards did Jacques Anquetil win?

Jacques Anquetil has received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award is one of the most prestigious awards a sportsperson can receive. The award is in December and is in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony. The winner is a sports personality who is decided by a public vote according to how much they have accomplished the most in that year. A recipient is usually a British person or someone who has stayed there and played their game or sport in the United Kingdom. A shortlist of eminent sportspeople is made from which a winner is declared.

For Jacques Anquetil, however, his awards were the tournaments and championships he won. Jacques has been an eight-time winner of the Grand Prix des Nations. He has won the Grand Prix de Lugano seven times, once in 1953, second the year later, and four times consecutively from 1958 to 1961! After a gap of four years, he won the tournament in 1965 and another time the year later in 1966.

In 1961 Jacques won Super Prestige Pernod International. This wasn't the first time he won; later, Jacques set a record by winning this race three times! His record was bet by Eddy Merckx in 1969 when he won the race seven times consecutively.

Jacques Anquetil's Hobbies And Interests

After Jacques Anquetil retired in 1969 from cycling, he started giving more time to his interests in real estate, ranching, television commentary, and journalism.

• In 1954 Jacques Anquetil enlisted in the military for the mandatory two-year service.
• Jacques Anquetil got his racing license for cycling when he was only seventeen. He got the license on December 2, 1950.
• Jacques once said that he wore a yellow jersey before his 1961 tour and wore the same one throughout the tour despite having winners such as Charly Gaul and Federico Bahamontes in it.
• Jacques had studied light engineering. He even worked in Sotteville in a factory but soon left it as it wasn't his calling.
• There had once been an incident that occurred between Anquetil and the French cycling federation. When the Italian officials were talking to UCI, the federation took Anquetil's sample after returning to Rouen and said the sample would be valid for 48 hours. Still, Jacques's manager had lost his temper with the Italians and even attempted to throw them out by this time.
• At 19, Jacques became the unofficial champion of the time trial by winning Grand Prix des Nations and Grand Prix de Lugano. He won both of these tournaments in 1953, and these were his first professional races.
• Jacques Anquetil was a French national as he was born in France.
• During his lifetime Jacques Anquetil lived at Seine-Maritime. It is a place in France near the Normandy region, situated on France's northern coast.
• Jacques Ancquetil's first cycle was an Alcyon which he first rode when he was four years old only! He would ride the bicycle all around his village twice a day.
• Although the exact number of times Jacques Anquetil has participated in the Tour De France is unknown, he has won the tournament five times!

We would love your help! If you have a photo of Jacques Anquetil, either of them alone or a selfie that you would be happy to share, please send it to [email protected]. If you have knowledge or information that you think would help us improve this article, please contact us.