Tour de France champion Ferdy Kuebler dies at 97

Ferdinand "Ferdy" Kuebler, the first Swiss cyclist to win the Tour de France, died on Thursday in a Zurich hospital at the age of 97 following a brief illness, the Swiss Cycling federation said on its website.

Ferdy Kuebler was an attacking rider with a number of great victories. Source: Getty

Kuebler was 31 in 1950 when he won that year's 4690km edition of the Tour de France. A year later, he won the world championship race in Varese, Italy.

Although he claimed victory in the Tour of Switzerland three times, it took him a decade as a professional before he won the sport's most prestigious race. 

Kuebler, known by Swiss fans as "Ferdy National", is one of only two Swiss Tour de France winners along with Hugo Koblet who claimed victory in 1951. Koblet died in 1964 in a car crash.

Before his death, he was the oldest living Tour de France winner.

More of Ferdy Kuebler at Wikipedia.