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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian
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Lucien “Petit-Breton” Mazan (Fra) 
Born: October 18, 1882, Plesse, France
Died: December 19, 1917
Professional: from 1902 to 1914
Lucien Petit Breton began his racing career in Buenos Aries, Argentina. Lucien's father, a well-known clock maker by trade, lost an emotional political election by a wide margin. Devastated and humiliated by the loss, the accomplished clock maker moved his family to Argentina in 1890. It was here that Lucien got into bicycle racing at the velodrome in Buenos Aries. His father thought little of cycling and when his racing career began, Mazan applied for a racing license under the name Lucien Breton (his native region in France). “ Petit ” was added upon his return to France in 1902 to avoid confusion with an older rider with the last name Breton.
In 1905 he began his rise to prominence by setting the World “Hour Record” at Buffalo Velodrome in Paris with a distance of 41.110km (Henri Desgranges set the first record in 1893- 35.325km). His major successes include wins at the 1906 Paris-Tour, the first Milan-San Remo in 1907, and the 1908 Paris-Brussels. His greatest accomplishment was the double victory in the Tour de France in 1907 and 1908. He was the first 2-time winner of the Tour.
During the World War 1, Petit Breton was killed on a mission 20km behind enemy lines. On the night of December 19, 1917, the car he was driving flipped over and Petit Breton was killed instantly.
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