Louis Trousselier

Who was Louis Trousselier?

Louis Trousselier was a French racing cyclist.

He was born in Levallois-Perret, Hauts de Seine in 1881; some sources say on January 29, others June 29. He died in Paris on April 24, 1939.

He is most famous for his 1905 victory in the 1905 Tour de France. His other major wins were Paris–Roubaix, also in 1905, and the 1908 Bordeaux–Paris. He came third in the 1906 Tour de France and won 13 stages of the Tour de France over his career. He also competed in the men's 25 kilometres event at the 1900 Summer Olympics.

Trousselier, known as Trou-Trou, came from a rich family which had a flower business in central Paris. For that reason, when Henri Desgrange, the first organiser of the Tour, sought to popularise competitors by giving them nicknames, he referred to Trousselier as "the florist".

Trousselier's brothers Léopold and André were also racers but they never had the success of Louis, who was only 18 when he won Paris–Roubaix-Antwerp against the stars of the day. He rode his first Tour de France in 1905, taking a few days' official leave from his service as a soldier and depending on doing well to save himself from too strong a penalty - potentially as a deserter - when he got back much later. He dominated the race winning five stages, completing the 3,021 km in 110 hours 26 minutes and 58 second at an average speed of 27.48 km. He won win 35 points ahead of Hippolyte Aucouturier and Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq. Victory brought him all his prizes, contracts to ride all over France and a bonus from his sponsor. But that night, in a trackside cabin in Paris, he lost the whole lot playing dice with friends.