Jacques Anquetil: The Calculating Champion

Jacques Anquetil's emergence in the late 1950s marked a new type of champion. Where Bobet inspired through suffering and Coppi through elegance, Anquetil dominated through pure calculation. His five Tour victories (1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964) were masterpieces of measured effort, winning by necessary margins without wasted energy.

The Time Trial Specialist

Anquetil revolutionized time trialing. His position—back flat, arms narrow, head low—became the template others copied. He approached time trials scientifically, calculating power output for specific distances and terrains. While rivals relied on feeling, Anquetil used mathematics. His dominance against the clock often decided Tours before mountain stages began.

This calculating approach extended beyond racing. Anquetil openly discussed money, refusing to hide that he raced for profit rather than glory. He negotiated appearance fees ruthlessly, endorsed products enthusiastically, and invested earnings shrewdly. This mercenary attitude shocked traditionalists but reflected cycling's commercial reality.

The Public Relations Disaster

Despite his success, Anquetil never captured French hearts like Bobet. His calculated style, while effective, lacked romance. French fans wanted champions who suffered visibly, who attacked impulsively, who embodied passion over precision. Anquetil's admission that he never gave maximum effort—"Why tire yourself out?"—confirmed suspicions that he lacked the warrior spirit France admired.

His rivalry with Raymond Poulidor crystallized this dynamic. Poulidor, the eternal second, won public affection through visible suffering and near-misses. Their duel on the Puy de Dôme in 1964, riding elbow-to-elbow up the volcanic climb, became cycling's most famous image. Though Anquetil won, Poulidor emerged as moral victor, the champion of hearts if not results.