Earlier this month 105 year-old Frenchman Robert Marchand set an incredible new Hour Record in the Masters 105+ category when he covered a distance of 22.547 kilometres. His ride was the first ever for the category of Masters cyclists aged 105 or over and he covered the distance at the French national velodrome in Saint Quentin en Yvelines near Paris.
Now a call has been put out to look for funding to purchase a new hearing aid for the centenarian. His friend Gérard Mistler who is the president of L’Association Cycliste l’Ardéchoise, had the idea to start looking for donations.
“This boy has become a light, a hope for many French people,” said Mistler.
A mail was sent to all cyclists in the Ardéchoise club asking for donations to help Marchand lead a more comfortable life, as he lives on a small pension. The hearing aid he requires costs €6,000 which he was unable to afford.
“A mail was sent to all cyclists in the Ardèche but also to the 8500 volunteers of the organization to invite them to make a donation or a cheque for 5, 10, 15, 20 euros,” said Mistler. “The donations must be sent to Saint-Félicien, at the headquarters of the Association l’Ardéchoise, but the order of the cheque must indicate “Robert Marchand”.
It seems that the figure required will be reached as the club received donations of €800 on just the first day.
