Jean Graczyk

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**Jean Graczyk**
Personal information
Full name	Jean Graczyk
Date of birth	26 May 1933
Date of death	27 June 2004
Country	France
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Sprinter
Major wins
Tour de France green jersey (1958,1960)
Infobox last updated on:
April 16, 2007

Medal record
Competitor for France
Track cycling
Olympic Games
Silver	1956 Melbourne	Team pursuit

Jean Graczyk (26 May 1933, Neuvy-sur-Barangeon - 27 June 2004, Vierzon) was a professional road bicycle racer who won two maillot vert (or green jersey) points competitions at the Tour de France and has won several stages each at the Tour de France and Vuelta a España. Before turning professional, Graczyk won an Olympic silver medal in the team pursuit for France.

His nickname in the sport was Popof. The American-French journalist René de Latour jokingly said in the British monthly "Sporting Cyclist" that it was because of his habit of attacking alone, or "popping off". De Latour, however, depended too heavily on his readers' understanding of French slang, because Popof is a semi-derogatory term in French for someone of Polish background. The "popping off" suggestion, however, is still widely believed and appears from time to time in histories of the sport.

[edit] Major results

1956

Silver Medal, Team Pursuit, Summer Olympics

1958

Points classification, Tour de France

1959

Paris-Nice
1 stage, Tour de France

1960

Points classification and 4 stages, Tour de France
Critérium International
Super Prestige Pernod International

1962

4 stages, Vuelta a España

Sporting positions
Preceded by Jean Forestier	Winner of the green jersey in the Tour de France 1958	Succeeded by André Darrigade
Preceded by André Darrigade	Winner of the green jersey in the Tour de France 1960	Succeeded by André Darrigade