Odile Defraye

Odile Defraye

Odile Defraye (real name Odiel Defraeye;  July 14, 1888, - August 21, 1965) was a Belgian road racing cyclist who won three stages and the overall title of the 1912 Tour de France, which was the last tour decided by a points system instead of overall best time. He was the first Belgian to win the Tour and was only invited to join Alcyon's all-French team at a late stage for publicity purposes.

At the 1913 Tour de France, Defraye held the overall lead after stages 2 through 5 before relinquishing the lead on the Tourmalet to eventual winner Philippe Thys. He participated in six tours between 1909 and 1924 but the Tour he won(1912) was the only one that he completed.

Other major wins include the 1913 Milan – San Remo, a one-day classic, and four stages and the overall for the 1912 Tour of Belgium.