 |
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Hugo Koblet |
| Nickname | Beautiful Hugo, Le pédaleur de charme |
| Date of birth | 21 March 1925 |
| Date of death | 6 November 1964 (aged 39) |
| Country |  Switzerland |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Major wins | |
| 1950 Giro d'Italia 1951 Tour de France |
|
| Infobox last updated on: | |
| 27 Dec 2009 | |
Hugo Koblet (21 March 1925 – 6 November 1964) was a Swiss champion cyclist.
Born in Zürich, Switzerland, his professional cycling career began in 1946. He made his name on the track as a pursuiter, winning the Swiss championship every year from 1947 to 1954. In 1947 he finished third in the world pursuit championship, and took second in 1951 and 1954. He was given the nickname "Pédaleur de Charme" in 1951 by Jacques Grello a writer for Parisien Libéré.
After winning the 1950 Swiss road championship, Koblet gained fame when he became the first non-Italian to win the Giro d'Italia. In 1951 he defeated Fausto Coppi to win the "Grand Prix des Nations," an individual time trial considered the unofficial world championship. The most important victory came that year at the Tour de France, during which he captured five stages and won the overall title.
Hugo Koblet was a handsome man whose fame brought beautiful women and a lifestyle that affected his career. Although he competed with success, including two second-place finishes at the Giro d'Italia, he never regained the level achieved in 1951-52 and retired in 1958.
Six years after his retirement, Koblet died at 39 in a car crash, with speculation that his death may have been a suicide. Witnesses saw Koblet driving his white Alfa Romeo at speed between Zürich and Esslingen. Weather and road conditions were ideal, but the vehicle reportedly drove into a tree without any attempt to avert the crash.
Switzerland national
track pursuit champion Switzerland national
track pursuit champion Switzerland national
track pursuit champion Switzerland national
track pursuit champion
Winner overall
classification
Winner mountains classification Switzerland national
track pursuit champion
Winner overall
classification Switzerland national
track pursuit champion Switzerland national
track pursuit champion
1st Swiss
Road Race Championship| 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giro | 1 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 10 | DNE |
| Stages won | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Mountains classification | 1 | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | — |
| Points classification | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Tour | DNE | 1 | DNE | DNF-10 | DNF-13 | DNE | DNE |
| Stages won | — | 5 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — |
| Mountains classification | — | 3 | — | — | NR | NR | — |
| Points classification | N/A | N/A | N/A | — | NR | NR | — |
| Vuelta | DNE | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | DNE | DNF |
| Stages won | — | — | 0 | ||||
| Mountains classification | — | — | NR | ||||
| Points classification | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1 | Winner |
| 2–3 | Top three-finish |
| 4–10 | Top ten-finish |
| 11– | Other finish |
| DNE | Did Not Enter |
| DNF-x | Did Not Finish (retired on stage x) |
| DSQ | Disqualified |
| N/A | Race/classification not held |
| NR | Not Ranked in this classification |
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Armin
Scheurer |
Swiss Sportsman of the Year 1951 |
Succeeded by Josef
Stalder |
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