Pierre Chany (16 December 1922 – 18 June 1996) was a Frenchcyclingjournalist. He covered the Tour de France 49 times and was for a long time the main cycling writer for the daily newspaper, L'Équipe.
Chany was born in Langeac, Haute-Loire, the son of a near-illiterate father who worked in the horse industry. The family then moved to Paris, to run a small bar in the rue Guillaume Bertrand, in the 11th arrondissement. Chany grew up there and, in his teens, escaped from the city on his bicycle, sometimes riding as far as Melun. He became interested in cycle-racing after reading L'Auto, Paris-Soir and Match and looking at sepia pictures of riders such as André Leducq. He rode several races, including the Premier Pas Dunlop event which in other years showed the talent of young riders such as Louison Bobet and Raphaël Géminiani. In Chanaleilles, he won a cycle and a running race on the same day, winning two packets of Gauloises cigarettes.[1] After that he joined the CV des Marchés club in Paris.
He raced for five years and then, in 1942 when he was 20, went into hiding rather than be sent to Germany as a worker.
He was arrested and jailed first at Puy-en-Velay and then Riom. He escaped - on his birthday - from a train taking him to Germany. He joined a branch of the Resistance, the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans, then joined an Algerian regiment. He was wounded three times and awarded the Croix de Guerre.[2]
The war ended his aspirations as a cyclist and he turned to sports reporting, having briefly tried the transport business in buying two army lorries with a friend, Jacques Michelon. Encourage by another friend, Stanilas Gara, he wrote his first pieces, in 1946, for an agency which sold articles to La Marseillaise among others. It was in La Marseillaise that his first writing appeared. He then took a job with Front National, a Resistance publication edited by Jacques Debu-Bridel. He was to replace Albert Baker d'Isy (1906–1968), an author and one of France's best-known contemporary writers. Baker d'Isy was already Chany's hero and the move brought them together for the first time and led to a lifelong friendship.
From there Chany moved to Sport and to Ce Soir, publications associated with the Communist Party but which employed journalists of various opinions. It was when Ce Soir went out of business in 1953 that he joined L'Équipe. He was head of cycling there from 1953 to 1987.
He also wrote under the pen name Jacques Périllat for 'Miroir Sprint and 'Miroir du Cyclisme'. Chany insisted that L'Équipe's editor, Jacques Goddet, knew Chany was doing it but chose to say nothing rather than lose his leading cycling writer.
Cycling writerEdit
Pierre Chany wrote not only journalistic pieces but numerous other works, including books of cycling history which went to several new editions. He wrote a history of the Tour de France and then of the cycling classics and the world championships. He wrote a history of all cycle racing from the days of the first bicycle to his death in 1996. From 1974, he produced a roundup of each season, called L'Année du Cyclisme. He wrote biographies of Fausto Coppi and Jacques Anquetil and a novel called Une Longue Échappée - A Long Break, a reference to a group of cyclists breaking away from the main field.
Chany received the Prix Martini in 1967 for the best sports article of the year and the Grand Prix of Sporting Literature in 1972 for his work on the Tour de France.
Jacques Anquetil said of the insight of Chany's journalism: "Don't ask me to tell you what happened during the race. There's someone more competent than I am to do that... Even I will wait until tomorrow's article by Pierre Chany in L'Équipe to find what I did, why and how I did it. What gives him authority is that he is competent, that he knows me and understands me. His version will be better than mine and it will become mine."
The Prix Pierre Chany is now awarded each year to the writer of the season's best cycling work in French. It was established in 1989. It was awarded in 2008 to Philippe Bouvet for an article about the Carrefour de l'Arbre, a section of cobbles in Paris–Roubaix.
A cyclo-sportive race is held in Chany's name in Haute-Loirehim.
"The Man of 50 Tours"Edit
Pierre Chany sat through a succession of interviews with the writer Christophe Penot, who planned to publish them under the title Pierre Chany, l'homme aux 50 Tours de France.[3] Chany would have followed his 50th Tour in 1996. He attended the Classique des Alpes, won by Laurent Jalabert on 1 June and then next day went to the prologue of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. There he fell ill. He died of pleurisy on 18 June. By then production of the book was in progress and the author and the publisher, Éditions Cristel, kept the name in homage.
Among those at his funeral was the former professional and radio and television commentator, Robert Chapatte. It proved his last appearance in public and he died in Paris shortly afterwards.
L'Équipe said of Chany the day after his death: "Our newspaper has lost one of those who made his own history: sports journalism has lost one of its masters."
BibliographyEdit
Les rendez-vous du cyclisme, ou Arriva Coppi (1960)
Anquetil (1971)
La Fabuleuse histoire du Tour de France (1985)
La fabuleuse histoire du cyclisme (1988)
L'Année du cyclisme (1974)
ReferencesEdit
^Pierre Chany, l'homme aux 50 Tours de France, Éditions Cristel, St Malo, France
pierre, chany, december, 1922, june, 1996, french, cycling, journalist, covered, tour, france, times, long, time, main, cycling, writer, daily, newspaper, Équipe, born, 1922, december, 1922langeac, haute, loire, francedied18, june, 1996, 1996, aged, nationalit. Pierre Chany 16 December 1922 18 June 1996 was a French cycling journalist He covered the Tour de France 49 times and was for a long time the main cycling writer for the daily newspaper L Equipe Pierre ChanyBorn 1922 12 16 16 December 1922Langeac Haute Loire FranceDied18 June 1996 1996 06 18 aged 73 NationalityFrenchOther namesJacques Perillat pen name OccupationSports journalist Contents 1 Biography 2 Cycling writer 3 The Man of 50 Tours 4 Bibliography 5 ReferencesBiography Edit nbsp 1933 Andre Leducq helped left by Georges Speicher Chany was born in Langeac Haute Loire the son of a near illiterate father who worked in the horse industry The family then moved to Paris to run a small bar in the rue Guillaume Bertrand in the 11th arrondissement Chany grew up there and in his teens escaped from the city on his bicycle sometimes riding as far as Melun He became interested in cycle racing after reading L Auto Paris Soir and Match and looking at sepia pictures of riders such as Andre Leducq He rode several races including the Premier Pas Dunlop event which in other years showed the talent of young riders such as Louison Bobet and Raphael Geminiani In Chanaleilles he won a cycle and a running race on the same day winning two packets of Gauloises cigarettes 1 After that he joined the CV des Marches club in Paris He raced for five years and then in 1942 when he was 20 went into hiding rather than be sent to Germany as a worker He was arrested and jailed first at Puy en Velay and then Riom He escaped on his birthday from a train taking him to Germany He joined a branch of the Resistance the Francs Tireurs et Partisans then joined an Algerian regiment He was wounded three times and awarded the Croix de Guerre 2 The war ended his aspirations as a cyclist and he turned to sports reporting having briefly tried the transport business in buying two army lorries with a friend Jacques Michelon Encourage by another friend Stanilas Gara he wrote his first pieces in 1946 for an agency which sold articles to La Marseillaise among others It was in La Marseillaise that his first writing appeared He then took a job with Front National a Resistance publication edited by Jacques Debu Bridel He was to replace Albert Baker d Isy 1906 1968 an author and one of France s best known contemporary writers Baker d Isy was already Chany s hero and the move brought them together for the first time and led to a lifelong friendship From there Chany moved to Sport and to Ce Soir publications associated with the Communist Party but which employed journalists of various opinions It was when Ce Soir went out of business in 1953 that he joined L Equipe He was head of cycling there from 1953 to 1987 He also wrote under the pen name Jacques Perillat for Miroir Sprint and Miroir du Cyclisme Chany insisted that L Equipe s editor Jacques Goddet knew Chany was doing it but chose to say nothing rather than lose his leading cycling writer Cycling writer EditPierre Chany wrote not only journalistic pieces but numerous other works including books of cycling history which went to several new editions He wrote a history of the Tour de France and then of the cycling classics and the world championships He wrote a history of all cycle racing from the days of the first bicycle to his death in 1996 From 1974 he produced a roundup of each season called L Annee du Cyclisme He wrote biographies of Fausto Coppi and Jacques Anquetil and a novel called Une Longue Echappee A Long Break a reference to a group of cyclists breaking away from the main field Chany received the Prix Martini in 1967 for the best sports article of the year and the Grand Prix of Sporting Literature in 1972 for his work on the Tour de France Jacques Anquetil said of the insight of Chany s journalism Don t ask me to tell you what happened during the race There s someone more competent than I am to do that Even I will wait until tomorrow s article by Pierre Chany in L Equipe to find what I did why and how I did it What gives him authority is that he is competent that he knows me and understands me His version will be better than mine and it will become mine The Prix Pierre Chany is now awarded each year to the writer of the season s best cycling work in French It was established in 1989 It was awarded in 2008 to Philippe Bouvet for an article about the Carrefour de l Arbre a section of cobbles in Paris Roubaix A cyclo sportive race is held in Chany s name in Haute Loirehim The Man of 50 Tours EditPierre Chany sat through a succession of interviews with the writer Christophe Penot who planned to publish them under the title Pierre Chany l homme aux 50 Tours de France 3 Chany would have followed his 50th Tour in 1996 He attended the Classique des Alpes won by Laurent Jalabert on 1 June and then next day went to the prologue of the Criterium du Dauphine Libere There he fell ill He died of pleurisy on 18 June By then production of the book was in progress and the author and the publisher Editions Cristel kept the name in homage Among those at his funeral was the former professional and radio and television commentator Robert Chapatte It proved his last appearance in public and he died in Paris shortly afterwards L Equipesaid of Chany the day after his death Our newspaper has lost one of those who made his own history sports journalism has lost one of its masters Bibliography EditLes rendez vous du cyclisme ou Arriva Coppi 1960 Anquetil 1971 La Fabuleuse histoire du Tour de France 1985 La fabuleuse histoire du cyclisme 1988 L Annee du cyclisme 1974 References Edit Pierre Chany l homme aux 50 Tours de France Editions Cristel St Malo France L Humanite 19 June 1996 Editions Cristel St Malo FRance Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pierre Chany amp oldid 1168444769, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
