Louis Trousselier

Louis Trousselier

Louis Trousselier was born in Levallois-Perret (Hauts de Seine) in 1881; some sources say on January 29, others June 29. He died in Paris on April 24, 1939. He is most famous for his 1905 victory in the Tour de France. His other major wins were Paris-Roubaix, also in 1905, and the 1908 Bordeaux-Paris. He finished third in the 1906 Tour de France and won 13 stages of the Tour de France over his career.


Trousselier, known as Trou-Trou, came from a rich family which had a flower business in central Paris. For that reason, when Henri Desgrange, the first organizer of the Tour, sought to popularise competitors by giving them nicknames, he referred to Trousselier as "the Florist".


Louis was only 18 when he won Paris-Roubaix-Antwerp against the stars of the day. He rode his first Tour de France in 1905, taking a few day's official leave from his service as a soldier and depending on doing well to save himself from too strong a penalty - potentially as a deserter - when he got back much later. He dominated the race winning five stages.


Trousselier rode the Tour well again in 1906 but never to the level of the previous year, nevertheless winning stages and finishing third. He stopped racing just before World War I and took over the family business.

Louis Trousselier 1905

Louis Trousselier 1906

Louis Trousselier 1909