French cyclist Jacques Dupont, who won a gold medal at the 1948 Olympic Games in London, has died at the age of 91, his family announced on Monday.
Dupont, who was born and died in the village of Lezat sur Leze in the south-west of France, achieved his gold medal at the Herne Hill Velodrome on August 11, 1948.
The 20-year-old Dupont eclipsed the field in the 1,000 metre track time trial, beating Belgian Pierre Nihant by one second. The Briton Tommy Godwin took the bronze.
Two days later Dupont was back in the saddle for the road race which doubled as an individual and team event.
Dupont could only manage 17th in the individual but helped the French take bronze in the team event alongside Jose Beyaert and Alain Moineau. The Belgians took gold without realising it and only received their medals in 2010 - 62 years later.
Dupont turned professional, winning the French championship in 1954 and the prestigious Paris-Tours in 1951 and 1955. After retiring from cycling in 1959, Dupont became a butcher and local businessman - he was even a 'soigneur' for the Stade Cadurcien rugby team in Cahors.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019
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