From the AP Wire and Reuters….
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France — Nearly a century ago, Robert Marchand was told by a coach that he should give up cycling because he would never achieve anything on a bike.
He proved that prediction wrong again Wednesday.
In a skin-tight yellow and violet jersey, the 105-year-old Frenchman set a world record in the 105-plus age category — created especially for the tireless veteran — by riding 22.547 kilometers (14 miles) in one hour.
Marchand had ridden faster in the past on the boards of the Velodrome National. But he had warned before his latest attempt that his current form was not as good.
Three years ago at the same venue, Marchand covered 26.927 kilometers (16.7 miles) in one hour to better his own world record in the over-100s category.
Fans chanted “Robert, Robert” during the last minutes of his ride and he received a standing ovation once he completed the 92 laps.
Marchand lives in a small flat in a Parisian suburb with a meager pension of about 900 euros ($940), keeps pedaling and stretching every day. It’s as if time had no effect on him and according to his coach, he has a big heart that pumps a lot of blood.
Marchand was born in 1911 and the secret to his longevity is eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, no smoking, an occasional glass of wine and exercising on a daily basis.
If had been doping, he would not be there anymore.
To stay fit, Marchand rides every day on his home trainer and puts himself through outdoor training sessions on the road when the weather is good enough.
He also doesn’t watch TV, apart from Tour stages.
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