Robert Marchand set an incredible new Hour Record in the Masters 105+ category when he covered a distance of 22.547 kilometres.
His ride was the first ever for the category of Masters cyclists aged 105 or over and he covered the distance at the French national velodrome in Saint Quentin en Yvelines near Paris.
Now, a fundraising drive is underway for Robert Marchand as it was discovered he cannot afford to buy a new pair of necessary hearing aids. As a pensioner, Marchand only receives about 900 euros a month, and the cost of the hearing aids is upwards of 6,000 euros.
“Robert modestly manages his retirement of less than 900 EUR after working for 86 years,” Gérard Mistler, president of L’Ardéchoise cycle race, told Le Parisien.
“When he said to me after beating his last record that he could only pay for one of the hearing aids he needs, I decided to appeal to the goodwill of the participants and volunteers of The Ardéchoise.”
Marchand was said to have been in tears upon discovery of the generosity.
French President François Hollande personally congratulated Marchand this weekend.
