Biography

Roger Rivière was born on February 23, 1936 in Saint-Étienne, Loire département, France. He died on April 1, 1976 in Saint-Galmier, France.

On the advice of his team manager, Raphaël Géminiani, and his agent, Daniel Dousset, Rivière attempted Ercole Baldini's hour record on 18 September 1957 at the Vigorelli track in Milan. He was still in national service in the army at Joinville, near Paris, although in a battalion which allowed the country's top athletes to train at public expense. He rode a 7.28m gear and took the record with 46 km 923m.

Roger Rivière was a French track and road bicycle racer. He raced as a professional from 1957 to 1960.

Rivière, a time trialist, all-around talent on the road, and a three-time world pursuit champion on the track, lost his career to injury. He was considered to have a chance of winning the 1960 Tour de France but crashed on the Col de Perjuret descent of Mont Aigoual in the Massif Central while following leader Gastone Nencini. Rivière hit a guard-block on the edge of the road, falling 20 meters into a ravine. He landed in brush, breaking two vertebrae. The injury permanently disabled Riviére, confining him to a wheelchair and ending his career.

Rivière never regained full use of his limbs. He lived the rest of his life in a wheelchair, considered an 80 per cent invalid. He opened a restaurant in Saint-Etienne called 'Le Vigorelli', after the Velodromo Vigorelli track in Milan where he twice set the world hour record. It failed and he opened a garage, and finally a holiday camp in the Rhone Valley. Those too failed.

Rivière admitted taking amphetamines and solucamphor during his hour record in 1958 - including tablets during the attempt. He said he had an injection of solucamphor and amphetamine before the start and swallowed several amphetamine tablets.