Gabriel Poulain

Gabriel Poulain

Gabriel Poulain was a French champion cyclist. He was born in St. Helier, France on February 14, 1884. A great sprinter, Poulain was the World Flier Champion in 1905 and second in 1906 and 1908.


On July 9, 1921 Poulain won a prize of 10,000 francs awarded by Peugeot for a self propelled flying machine that traveled over 10 meters at a height of over 1 meter. He flew a distance of 11.98 meters. His flying machine was a bicycle with wings attached. Poulain had to reach a speed of 29mph on his machine to go the distance and obtain a height of 8 feet. 


At the age of 40, in 1924, Gabriel won the Fench Track Sprinting Championship. He tied for second place in 1927 at the age of 43 and then announced his official retirement from cycling.

Gabriel Poulain and his self propelled flying machine.