Peugeot K-WB - Miniature racing cyclists

The French car and bicycle brand Peugeot sponsored a cycling team from the beginning of the 20th century until 1986. This team is considered to be one of the most successful in cycling history. The checkerboard jersey was worn by many riders who won in the big tours classics.

Many famous riders were part of the Peugeot formation:
Adri Voorting, Allan Peiper, Bernard Thévenet, Bernardo Ruiz, Charly Gaul, Dag Otto Lauritzen, Eddy Merckx, Emile Daems, Ernest Sterckx, Eugène Christophe, Ferdi Kübler, Ferdinand Bracke, Firmin Lambot, François Faber, Fred De Bruyne, Georges Passerieu, Gerben Karstens, Gerrit Voorting, Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle, Gustave Garrigou, Henk Faanhof, Henk Nijdam, Hennie Kuiper, Henri Pélissier, Hippolyte Aucouturier, Jacques Dupont, Jean de Gribaldy, Jean-Pierre Danguillaume, Jean-Rene Bernaudeau, Jo de Haan, Jos van der Vleuten, José De Cauwer, Jürgen Tschan, Louis Trousselier, Louison Bobet, Lucien Petit-Breton, Marcel Buysse, Michel Laurent, Oscar Egg, Pascal Simon, Paul Bourrillon, Phil Anderson, Philippe Thys, Pino Cerami, René Pottier, Rik Van Steenbergen, Robert Millar, Roger Legeay, Roger Pingeon, Roger Walkowiak, Ronan Pensec, Sean Yates, Stan Ockers, Stephen Roche, Tom Simpson, Walter Godefroot, ... 

The team had many co-sponsors.
1901-1904 Peugeot
1905-1924 Peugeot-Wolber
1925-1955 Peugeot-Dunlop
1956-1962 Peugeot-BP-Dunlop
1963-1964 Peugeot-BP-Englebert
1965-1975 Peugeot-BP-Michelin
1976-1981 Peugeot-Esso-Michelin
1982-1985 Peugeot-Shell-Michelin
1986 Peugeot-Shell-Talbot

History
In 1882 Jean Pequignot starts with the production of Peugeot bicycles. Soon cyclists are sponsored. The first major success came in 1896. Paul Bourrillon becomes world champion in sprinting on the track on a Peugeot bike.

In the first years of the 20th century, a Peugeot cycling team was created. The best-known riders in the team were the Italians Giuseppe Ghezi and Federico Momo (1901). In 1903 Hippolyte Aucouturier was the first to win on a Peugeot bike in Bordeaux-Paris. He also won Paris-Roubaix twice (1903, 1904).

In that period the winners of the Tour de France very often rode a Peugeot bicycle: Louis Trousselier (1905), René Pottier (1906), Lucien Petit-Breton (1907 and 1908) and Philippe Thys (1913 and 1914). After the First World War, the team also started to work with co-sponsors. In that period it was Firmin Lambot (1922) who won the Tour de France on a Peugeot bike.

A long time (1936-1955) the name of the team was Peugeot-Dunlop. In 1956 BP became co-sponsor. The team name was renamed Peugeot-BP. Yves Petit-Breton, the son of the former Tour winner Lucien Petit-Breton, became sports director.

In 1958 there was another sports director: Gaston Plaud. Plaud would stay with the team until the 70s. Under his reign, great riders came to the team.
Famous cyclists are Walter Godefroot, Tom Simpson, Ferdinand Bracke, Charly Gaul, Pino Cerami, Jean-Pierre Danguillaume and of course Eddy Merckx.

In 1963 the famous Peugeot cycling jersey was introduced. The shirt with the square black blocks on a white background. The square blocks would be on the jersey for more than 20 years. A very simple design, but very recognizable. Nowadays it is still a very popular jersey for cycling fans.
Tom Simpson won Bordeaux-Paris (1963), Milan-San Remo (1964) and the Tour of Lombardy and the World Championship (1965) in the Peugeot jersey.

In 1962 Dunlop was the co-sponsor, and a year later in 1963 and 1964 Englebert was a co-sponsor. In 1965 there was another co-sponsor. Now Michelin joined the team. The team now had the name Peugeot-BP-Michelin. This would remain the sponsor formation until 1975. The cannibal himself, Eddy Merckx was undoubtedly one of the most successful riders for Peugeot (1966 and 1967), winning Ghent-Wevelgem, 2 times Milan-San Remo, the Walloon Arrow and stages in the Tour of Italy. He also became world champion in 1967. In that same year 1967 the Frenchman Roger Pingeon was the winner of the Tour de France as a Peugeot rider. In 1969 he won the Tour of Spain and in 1971 it was the Belgian Ferdinand Bracke who won the Vuelta.

In 1975 there was a new sports director. Until 1981 it was Maurice de Muer who was in charge. In his first year his rider Bernard Thévenet won the Tour de France.

In 1976, sponsor BP left the team and Esso replaced it. Until 1981 the team continued as Peugeot-Esso-Michelin. In 1977 Peugeot won the Tour for the 10th time. For Thévenet it was his second win in the Tour de France. After that Hennie Kuiper got some nice places of honour in the Tour de France.

In 1982, Esso stopped as a sponsor. For Shell this was the beginning of a sponsorship period. The team continued as Peugeot-Shell-Michelin. In 1983 the Frenchman Pascal Simon had the yellow jersey, but he couldn't win the general classification. After a fall he broke his shoulder. Still he continued for a couple of days but in the end he had to stop the race. Also in 1985 the team had bad luck. Robert Millar was close to victory in the Vuelta. Until the penultimate day he wore the leader's jersey, but Pedro Delgado passed him in the general classification.

1986 was the last year for Peugeot as the main sponsor in the peloton. With sports director Roger Legeay, Velo Talbot took the place of Michelin as co-sponsor. After Peugeot left the team as main sponsor, he continued the team with the new main sponsor Z.

Discover also our other miniature riders.