The cyclist, who is mostly remembered by being poisoned at the Tour de France in 1911.
A professional cyclist from 1907 to 1927, Paul Duboc (1884-1941) enjoyed a successful career, winning five Tour de France stages—one in 1909 and four in 1911. His best overall result was a 2nd-place finish. Beyond the Tour, he also claimed victory in the Tour of Belgium in 1909.
The infamous poisoning occurred during the 1911 Tour de France, when Duboc was in excellent form and widely regarded as the favorite to win. On the 10th stage in the Pyrenees, while leading the race by several minutes, he suddenly collapsed, vomiting and unable to continue. The incident was traced back to a bottle he had received in the mountains. Suspicion fell on François Lafourcade as the likely perpetrator of the poisoning attempt. However, angry fans accused the race leader—and eventual Tour winner—Gustave Garrigou. The hostility was so intense that Garrigou was forced to disguise himself when the race passed through Duboc’s hometown.
Duboc’s career was not without controversy. In 1919, he was disqualified from the Tour de France after receiving illegal assistance from a car following a crash—a blemish on an otherwise noteworthy cycling career.