Apo Lazarides

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Apo Lazarides (October 16, 1925 - October 30, 1998), was a French champion cyclist.

Born Jean Apotre Lazarides in Marles-les-Mines, Pas-de-Calais of Greek ancestry, as a boy he cycled in the mountains. During the German occupation of France in World War II, the teenaged Lazarides used his cycling skills to surreptitiously transport supplies to members of the French Resistance .

Nicknamed "Apo", a short version of his middle name, his cycling abilities saw him compete in major races throughout France and although there was no Tour de France during the war, some events were held. In the years following liberation by the Allies, racing quickly began in earnest and in 1946 Lazarides finished fifth in the "Ronde de France" then won the most important competition of the year, the "La Course du Tour de France", a 1316km race from Monaco to Paris. This race was organised by the same group who took charge of the organisation of the Tour de France and is widely seen as equal to an official Tour race that resumed the following year.

In the 1947 official Tour de France, Apo Lazarides finished tenth overall but captured second overall in the mountain events. In 1948, he finished ninth overall and went on to take second place in the World Road Cycling Championships. He retired from active racing in 1955 and moved to live in Cannes on the French Riviera where he served as the President of the "Étoile Sportive de Cannes."

Apo Lazarides died in Cannes in 1998 and was buried there in the Cimetière du Grand Jas.