Pace d’Elbeuf Youth Jersey (2/5): 1965: Peter Hill, impatient Englishman

Fresh from his native England, Peter Hill Racing in the peloton was still unfamiliar when he competed in the 1965 Departmental Youth Jersey, and he toured Holland with the England team at the end of 1964. In Great Britain, online races are still rare in this era, with most events taking place against the clock. That’s good, that’s his specialty!

Time trial champion

Born in Doncaster on June 4, 1945 into a family of six miners, he was an English time trial champion at 50 miles, 100 miles and 12 hours! Wanting to come to Normandy, AC Sotteville, his idol Jacques Anquetil, he contacted André Boucher to advance in his favorite sport. At the end of 1964, our late colleague Pierre Lardière wrote in the cycling section of the regional newspaper Paris-Normandy: “Who wants to host a British rider?” His parents gave their consent to be a family, and with André Boucher’s blessing, Pierre would welcome Peter on a boat in Dieppe on February 22, 1965. The beginning of a long and beautiful friendship that would last forever.

They partake together in the department at Petit-Quilly where Peter is kept. “Jean-Jacques Lebob won and I finished 11th. Jean-Claude Baillex was the first to wear the jersey for his age,” he recalled. Fifty-seven years later, he no longer remembers all the races, but he does remember picking up the jersey in Argenton and wearing it again. “Father Boucher”, as AC Sotteville’s former sporting director is fondly called, asked him to point out the chairman, Claude Lechatellier (CA Flers). He gestured to go. I’ll win and take the jersey. I’m not losing it.”

Indeed, if Peter Hill – it is Paris-Normandy James will be named until the final – winning well in Argenton in the first region ahead of Legadelier, the latter taking the leader’s coat of arms on the day, our Anglo-Norman rising to 3rd overall. After finishing 2nd in this third regional, Peter would steal an outfit from him at Cesny-Bois-Halbout. And he would never lose it again.

A beautiful fight with Claude Lechatellier

Always in good form, he scores points at regionals. A little regret, he wanted to win at Cherbourg: “I was young, I always wanted to win, I felt strong that day. I even put 13 teeth instead of the usual 14. But the trick of “Father Boucher” is always two up the sleeve if the leader cracks. Holding trumps. With him, it was all for the club. We were three in the lead, my team-mate Michel Roux, Jean-Claude Saint-Riquier (SCC Rouen) and I. He waved Roux and Roux won. Then, as happened at Caney, Peter won the team game. Played and finished 4th, and finally Daniel Bellemare (US Ferriers) finished 3rd in the sprint.

“I’m very disappointed. »

On Wednesday 14 July 1965, when he left for the final, he was 2 points clear of Roux and 9 points clear of Legadelier. Behind, hole made, Jean-Jacques Lebob is 4th with 26 points. So he is confident, especially since the time trial is his strong point and he has been well prepared by Andre Boucher. “86.6 km, it didn’t scare me! “. And he won at Pont-Audemar with a lead of 4’01” over Legadelier and 4’59” over Roux, with the overall standings unchanged.
The following Sunday, by no means discouraged, Peter Hill completed a double behind Elie Lefranc (VC Eu) in the final of the Maillot des As at Les Essards (10th overall). Aiming for the final classification, Daniel Ducrux (VC Pont-Audemars) dropped out for the Jersey of Aus, not competing in the final of the Youth Jersey.

French GP winner over Lewis Okana

On September 12, 1965, at Laval, he won the Grand Prix de France against the clock ahead of Ogana and Thévenet, finishing 2nd from French champion Jean Dumont in the Grand Prix des Nations, 18”.

Turned professional at Peugeot in 1967 – this year’s Tour de France passes through his adopted homeland and he starts a decisive breakaway at Saint-Ouen-du-Tilleul, passing Elbeuf in the lead and becoming a point of honour. An amateur again in 1969. He married Françoise, sister of Pierre Mamier, who bore him three sons. After being licensed in the ACS, he raced until 1978, twice finishing 2nd in the Maillot des As (1971, 1972) and winning the final in 1971 at Les Essarts. At 75, he continued cycling. He regularly climbs Mont Ventoux on his days off and still lives in Caudebec-lès-Elbeuf, on the border of Saint-Pierre-les-Elbeuf, near the factory where he spent his entire professional life: Holden , an English company!

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