The epithet the eternal second is a bit undeserved but easy to understand; he was second in the Tour de France 1964, 1965 and 1974 and never wore the yellow jersey in the 14 times he finished the race. His main opponents in the Tour were Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx. He finished second in the World championships 1974 (and also took thre bronze medals in his career).
Among his many race wins are Milan - San Remo 1961, Fleche Wallonne 1963, Tour of Spain 1964 and Paris - Nice in 1972 and 1973.
Under NZ Privacy Legislation, a body cannot name people in these circumstance. However, the grapevine will be hot within a couple of days and the rider has little hope of remaining anonymous.