Jean Graczyk

Jean Graczyk (26 May 1933 – 27 June 2004) was a French road bicycle racer who won two points classifications in the Tour de France and several stages each at the Tour de France and Vuelta a España. Before turning professional, Graczyk won an Olympic silver medal in the team pursuit for France.

His nickname in the sport was Popof. The American-French journalist René de Latour jokingly said in the British monthly Sporting Cyclist that it was because of his habit of attacking alone, or "popping off". De Latour, however, depended too heavily on his readers' understanding of French slang, because Popof is a semi-derogatory term in French for someone of Polish background. The "popping off" suggestion, however, is still widely believed and appears from time to time in histories of the sport.

Major results

1956 Summer Olympics: Silver medal team pursuit national amateur road race champion 1957 Vailly-sur-Sauldre Tour du Sud-Est 1958 Cluny Orchies Vuelta a España: Winner stage 13B Pleurtuit Tour de France:

1959 Antibes Hyères Ronde d'Aix-en-Provence Saint-Denis l'Hotel Trofeo Longines (with Jacques Anquetil, André Darrigade, Seamus Elliott and Michel Vermeulin) Paris–Nice Tour de France: Winner stage 5 1960 Tour de France: Winner stages 4, 12, 17 and 21

Critérium International Super Prestige Pernod International Brignolles GP Monaco Saint-Claud Saint-Hilaire de Harcouet 1961 Challenge Laurens GP de Fréjus Neuvic sur l'isle Roma-Napoli-Roma Saint-Just-sur-Loire Sanvignes Vailly-sur-Sauldre La Charité-sur-Loire 1962 GP Vercors Lubersac Vuelta a España: Winner stages 6, 13, 14 and 16 Soings 1963 GP Monaco Soing-en-Sologne Vailly-sur-Sauldre Royan Montélimar 1964 Gap Montélimar 1965 Belvès Sin-le-Noble Vailly-sur-Sauldre Montélimar 1969 Quesnoy