Daily Cycling Facts 21.12.11

Iljo Keisse

Happy 29th birthday to Iljo Keisse, who finally returned to competition in 2011 after a doping investigation that has seen him banned, cleared and re-banned before ban was overturned. In addition to a superb track cycling palmares, Keisse finished 6th overall in the 2006 Tour of Britain.

Marcel Cadolle was born in Paris on this day in 1885 and turned professional in 1905. His 2nd place finish at the 1906 Paris-Roubaix (when he was beaten by 1904 - and youngest ever - Tour de France winner Henri Cornet) and Stage 4 win at the 1907 Tour de France suggest that he would probably not be so forgotten as he now is and might even have been among the greats had his career not have been ended prematurely during Stage 7 at the 1907 Tour when he crashed and seriously injured his knee. He died on the 21st of August, 1956.