manager. He had little success at either. In 1932 he wrote his impressions of the Tour de France for Paris-Soir. He remained bitter about those he believed treated cyclists as little better than slaves, said the broadcaster Jean-Paul Brouchon, while forgetting that cycling had made him rich. Death Pélissier's first wife, Léonie, despaired and shot herself in 1933. Three years later Pélissier took a lover, Camille Tharault whom he called Miete, who was 20 years his junior. He threatened her with a knife at least once. He was 46 and had not raced for eight years. On 1 May 1935, he and Camille had a row in the kitchen of their Norman-style villa at Fourcherolles, near Dampierre, outside Paris. Pélissier lunged at her with a knife, cutting her face. She ran to the bedroom, opened a drawer and pulled out the revolver with which Léonie had shot herself. She ran back to the kitchen and found Pélissier waiting with the knife. At that moment both saw the other threatening and Camille pulled the trigger five times. Pélissier fell to the floor. A bullet had hit the carotid artery. His body was placed in the room where Léonie had killed herself. Next day, Paris-Soir's headline was: Albert Baker d'Isy wrote: "He had few friendships because of his absolute opinions, and the way he expressed them cost him many friends... But they all bowed to the great quality of a champion that they considered the greatest French rider since the [first world] war." Léo Breton, president of the UVF, the French federation, called Pélissier the greatest rider of all time. Camille's trial opened a year later, almost to the day. She pleaded self-defence and on 26 May 1936, she got a year's suspended jail sentence. It was as close as the court could come to acquitting her. Memorial Fans at the Parc des Princes bought a bas-relief memorial to Henri, Francis and Charles Pélissier and put it up at the velodrome. It was moved to the Piste Municipale after demolition of the Parc des Princes. It is on the right beyond the inner metal gate. Career achievements Major results 1911 1st, Giro di Lombardia 1st, Milano–Torino 1912 1st, Milan–San Remo 1913 1st, Giro di Lombardia 2nd, Overall, Tour de France (and Stages 10 and 12) 1919 1st, Paris–Roubaix 1st, Bordeaux–Paris Stages 2 and 3, Tour de France 1920 1st, Giro di Lombardia