Bob Lacourse

Bob Lacourse began his cycling career in 1941, at the age of 15, and quickly gained a reputation for his skill in long-distance races, alongside his partner Laurent Tessier. His biggest road victory came in the 1948 Montreal-Quebec Classic (later named after Louis Garneau). In the late 1940s he became Canadian national champion in the 100-mile road race (1946), the quarter-mile distance (1947), and the 10-mile event (1948) and was selected to represent his country at the 1948 Summer Olympics. There he participated in the sprint, but had the misfortune to be drawn against Mario Ghella of Italy, the eventual gold medalist, in the opening round. He came back by winning his repêchage against Adolfo Romero of Mexico, but again suffered from an unlucky draw and lost to Reg Harris of Great Britain, the favorite and eventual silver medal winner, in round two.

Lacourse turned professional in 1950 and competed in the United States for several years before opening up a sports shop, “Bob Cyclo”, in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec in 1960. Outside of cycling he competed in sled dog racing, had an interest in skiing, and was active in organizing and supporting volunteer sports. He was inducted into the Quebec Federation of Sports Cyclists Hall of Fame in 1987, made a citizen of honor in Sainte-Thérèse in 2001, and won the Henri Decarnelle Award in 2009 for his contributions to sport in the Laurentides region of Quebec. He was an active in cycling tourism in Europe until shortly before his death in 2013 at the age of 86.