The Mercier professional team was founded in 1933 and took part in its first Tour de France in 1935. It remained in the peloton until 1984, making Mercier the professional team with the most appearances in the Tour de France.
Legendary riders raced for Mercier: Antonin Magne, Louison Bobet, Raymond Poulidor, Cyrille Guimard, Joop Zoetemelk...
The professional team was led by Edmond Mercier, son and nephew of the founders. Three sports directors successively headed the team: Antonin Magne, two-time Tour de France winner, followed by Louis Caput, and Jean-Pierre Danguillaume.
Team names:
1935 : Mercier-Hutchinson
1954-1969 : Mercier-BP-Hutchinson
1970-1971 : Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson
1972-1976 : Gan-Mercier-Hutchinson
1977-1978 : Miko-Mercier-Hutchinson
1979-1981 : Miko-Mercier-Vivagel
1982-1983 : Coop-Mercier-Mavic
1984 : Coop-Hoonved
50 Years at the Top
Grand Tours
Giro d'Italia
2 participations: 1957 and 1958
2 stage victories: 1957 Antonin Rolland and Louison Bobet
Vuelta a España
7 participations: 1964, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1979 and 1981
17 stage victories:
1970: Eddy Peelman (2 stage victories) and José María Errandonea
1971: Peelman (3), Guimard (2) and Vianen
1979: Joop Zoetemelk (2) and Christian Levavasseur
1981: Clère (3), Andersen and Vichot
3 overall victories: Raymond Poulidor (1964), Rolf Wolfshohl (1965), Joop Zoetemelk (1979)
Tour de France
21 participations
1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984.
40 stage victories
1962: Robert Cazala (2)
1963: Frans Melckenbeeck
1964: Raymond Poulidor
1965: Raymond Poulidor (2)
1966: Raymond Poulidor
1969: Barry Hoban (2)
1970: Cyrille Guimard and Rolf Wolfshohl
1971: Jean-Pierre Genet
1972: Cyrille Guimard (4)
1973: Barry Hoban (2) and Cyrille Guimard
1974: Genet, Poulidor and Vianen
1975: Hoban, Zoetemelk and Knetemann
1976: Joop Zoetemelk (3)
1978: Joop Zoetemelk and Christian Seznec
1979: Christian Seznec and Joop Zoetemelk
1980: Jean-Louis Gauthier and Raymond Martin
1983: Clère, Andersen, Le Bigaut, Laurent, Michaud and team time trial
The Classics
Tour of Flanders
Albéric Schotte (1942), Rik Van Steenbergen (1944 and 1946), Raymond Impanis (1954), Louison Bobet (1955) and Cees Bal (1974)
Paris-Roubaix
Marcel Kint (1943), Rik Van Steenbergen (1948 and 1952), Raymond Impanis (1954) and Louison Bobet (1956)
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Maurice Mollin (1948), Alfred De Bruyne (1956) and Frans Melckenbeeck (1963)
Milan-San Remo
Rik Van Steenbergen (1954), Alfred De Bruyne (1956), René Privat (1960) and Raymond Poulidor (1961)
Stage Races
Paris-Nice
Maurice Archambaud (1936 and 1939), Roger Lapébie (1937), Jules Lowie (1938), Raymond Impanis (1954), Jean Bobet (1955), Fred De Bruyne (1956), Raymond Poulidor (1972 and 1973), and Joop Zoetemelk (1974, 1975, and 1979)
Critérium du Dauphiné libéré
Edouard Klabinski (1947), Louison Bobet (1955), Raymond Poulidor (1966 and 1969), and Alain Santy (1974)
Critérium international
Raymond Poulidor (1968), Joop Zoetemelk (1979)