Other Crime 13 August 1999 (Drunk driving car crash) chart Placidus Equal_H.
Death:Death by Suicide 7 September 1999 at 04:00 AM in Notre-Dame-de-Mésage (Shot himself, Age 40) chart Placidus Equal_H.
French road bicycle racer. He was King of the Mountains in the 1990 Tour de France. On 13 August 1999 Claveyrolat was driving a car that was involved in a crash with another car. A man and his 14-year-old son were badly injured, the boy losing an eye. Claveyrolat was arrested for drunk driving. Claveyrolat committed suicide in Notre-Dame-de-Mésage, Isère, at 4 a.m. on 7 September 1999 by shooting himself with a rifle. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less
Thierry Claveyrolat was a French professional road cyclist, born on 31 March 1959 in La Tronche, Isère, France. A gifted climber celebrated for his panache in the mountains, he earned the nickname “L’Aigle de Vizille” (the Eagle of Vizille). He is best known for winning the Mountains Classification (polka-dot jersey) at the 1990 Tour de France. Claveyrolat died in 1999; his life and career continue to be remembered by cycling fans and French media.
Raised in the Grenoble–Vizille area at the foot of the Alps, Claveyrolat’s terrain shaped his riding style. He turned professional in the 1980s and spent the peak of his career with the French team RMO in the late 1980s and early 1990s. After retiring from the pro peloton, he returned to his home region, where he ran a bar–tabac near Grenoble. In 1999, following a serious road accident and the strain that followed, he took his own life. His story is often cited in discussions about the pressures faced by athletes after retirement.
Claveyrolat embodied the archetypal French grimpeur: light, attacking, and tactically bold on steep gradients. His 1990 polka-dot triumph remains a touchstone for French fans who value panache as much as palmarès. The “Eagle of Vizille” moniker reflects both his local roots and his soaring mountain exploits. His legacy also opens broader conversations about athlete welfare, transitions after elite sport, and regional pride in Isère’s cycling culture.
While there is no “current” personal news (he is deceased), French and cycling media periodically revisit Claveyrolat’s career—especially around the Tour de France and anniversaries of the 1990 race. Retrospectives focus on his polka-dot jersey, memorable attacks, and the human story behind his post-career struggles. Regional outlets in Isère occasionally publish memorial pieces, and documentaries or historical features about the Tour often include segments on him.
For deeper research, consult French national and regional sports archives, reputable cycling statistics databases, and newspaper retrospectives covering the 1990 Tour de France and profiles of notable French climbers from that era.