Robert Marchand, age 105, set a long distance record.
He rode 14 miles in the hour at the Velodrome National near Paris. To compare, Bradley Wiggins rode 34 miles in an hour, but then again, he’s nearly two-thirds of a lifetime younger.
Marchand wore a purple and yellow skinsuit and rode 92 laps. He felt he could have done better. He said he did not see the warning that he had 10 minutes left. Had he seen it, he would have gone faster and had a better time. Now he says he’s waiting for a rival.
His goal was to prove that at 105 a person can still ride a bike.
It’s been reported that he was a firefighter when he was young in France and lived through both world wars. In the 1960s he worked various jobs and didn’t have time for sports. He began riding again at 68 years old.
His secret is living a clean life; no smoking, lots of fruits and vegetables, occasional wine, exercise every day and lots of sleep. In fact, he’s become a vegetarian the past month.
