Henri Pélissier: The Tragic Champion
This article was a fun one to write. When I started the research, I quickly discovered that there was not very much information about Pélissier in English, and what was available had many errors. That led me to a magnificent journey down the rabbit hole of history. I accessed our library of original French sports newspapers and magazines, focusing on 1908 through the early 1940s. With lots of help from Google Translate and my independent study of French, I could pull out the fascinating details of Pélissier’s wild story using first-hand accounts from news stories published when they were happening.
Published by Outside Magazine, 2023 Official Tour de France Race Guide
“Dead as a doornail. Shot by his lover with the same revolver his wife used to take her own life two years prior. 1923 Tour de France Champion, Henri Pélissier, lived a complicated life.”
When I submitted the article to Outside Magazine, this was the first line “hook” I used. The editors asked me to submit a second version of the opening, but I still like this one.