- published: 24 Jan 2015
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Jean Stablewski, known as Jean Stablinski (born 21 May 1932, Thun-Saint-Amand, France, d. 22 July 2007) was a French professional cyclist from a family of Polish immigrants. He rode from 1952 to 1968, winning 105 races as a professional. He won the national road championship four times - 1960, 1962, 1963 and 1964 - the world road championship in 1962, the first Amstel Gold Race, in 1966 and Vuelta a España in 1958.
Jean Stablinski was the son of Polish immigrants in the mining area of the Nord region of France. His father died in a work accident in 1946 and Jean, at 14, started working in the mine to provide for his family. It was at this time that he won a bicycle in an accordion competition. Legend says that his mother was so displeased by her son's new hobby that she damaged his bike.
Jean, still known as Stablewski, became naturalised as French at 16 and rode his first races. It was while riding the Peace Race that a journalist's error in writing his name 'Stablinski' created the surname by which he was known then on.