Apo Lazaridès

Who was Apo Lazaridès?

Apo Lazaridès, was a French champion cyclist.

Born Jean-Apôtre Lazaridès in Marles-les-Mines, Pas-de-Calais of Greek ancestries, he cycled in the mountains as a boy. During the German occupation, Lazaridès used his cycling to transport supplies to the French Resistance.

Nicknamed "Apo", a short version of his middle name, he competed in races throughout France during the war. In 1946 Lazaridès finished fifth in the "Ronde de France", then won the most important competition of the year, the "La Course du Tour de France", a 1316 km race from Monaco to Paris. This was organised by the group who took charge of organisation of the Tour de France.

In the 1947 Tour, Lazaridès finished tenth but captured second overall in the mountain class. In 1948, he finished ninth and went on to take second place in the world championship. He retired in 1955 and moved to Cannes, where he was president of the Étoile Sportive de Cannes."

Lazaridès died in Cannes in 1998 and was buried there in the Cimetière du Grand Jas.