Jean de Gribaldy

Jean de Gribaldy (18 July 1922 – 2 January 1987) was a French road cyclist and directeur sportif. He rode in the Tour de France in 1947, 1948 and 1952.

Biography Born in Besançon, Doubs département, Gribaldi was a professional racing cyclist from 1945 to 1954. He began a successful career as a directeur sportif in the mid-1960s.

Nicknamed le Vicomte ("the Viscount") due to his aristocratic ancestry, he discovered Sean Kelly, Joaquim Agostinho, and Éric Caritoux. He gave a second chance to many riders dropped by other teams. Most saw their career take a new dimension under Jean de Gribaldy.

A street in Besançon, where he was a shopkeeper, has been named Montée Jean de Gribaldy since 1994. Each year, a Jean de Gribaldy cycling race is organized in Besançon.

On 26 June 2025, Grand Besançon Métropole unveiled 8 of these new trams, which will be in service from July 2025. They will be longer and have a capacity of 200 passengers, compared with 130 for the previous trams. One of them will bear the name of Jean de Gribaldy and will be decorated with his portrait and biography.