Critérium des As
Race details
English nameRace of the Aces
DisciplineRoad
History
First edition1921 (1921)
Editions61
Final edition1990
First winnerBelgium Philippe Thys
Most winsBelgium Rik Van Steenbergen (5 wins)
Final winnerFrance Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle

The Critérium des As (Race of the Aces) was a cycle race that was generally held at the end of the season, with entry by invitation only, for the leading riders of the season. Competitors rode behind pacers on tandems or motorcycles. It was held from 1921 until 1990, mostly in Paris, France but also in Switzerland and Holland.[1] The last Critérium des As was held in 1990 and was replaced by the Roue d'Or des As the following year.[1][2]

History

In 1920 the Critérium de la résistance was run from Bordeaux to Paris (Longchamp) and back to Bordeaux, and is regarded as the forerunner of Critérium des As. The 1,208 kilometres (751 mi) paced event was won by Louis Mottiat of Belgium, in 56 hours and 48 minutes.[2]

In 1921 the best riders of the season were invited to enter the Critérium des As, 27 laps of a 3.63 km circuit around Longchamp. They rode alone except for pacers who helped on occasional laps, not being fast enough to last longer.[2][3]

Crowds of up to 6,000 watched in the years before the World War II.[3] The individual pacers were replaced by tandems, triplets, motorcycles and finally specialist Derny lightweight motorcycles in 1947. René de Latour, a journalist who organised the race in 1943, when the inside of the circuit included flak guns to defend the Renault factory in Boulogne-Billancourt, said:

The tandems gave more shelter and the race became more and more spectacular. Each of the selected riders had four or five tandems at his disposal, and it was a lovely sight to see the relieving tandem taking over from the 'double' that had just completed its allotted spell. If you talk to the older bike fans, they will tell you regretfully that racing was really beautiful to watch in the days of tandem-pacing and that nothing had ever really replaced them. I must say that I think that way, too." René de Latour[3]

The most prolific winner was Rik Van Steenbergen of Belgium, with five wins.[4]

Winners

Year Location Winner Second Third
1921 Longchamp Belgium Philippe Thys Belgium René Vermandel France Henri Pélissier
1922 Longchamp Belgium René Vermandel France Jean Alavoine France Romain Bellenger
1923 Longchamp Belgium Jules Van Hevel France Romain Bellenger France Maurice Brocco
1924 Longchamp Belgium Jules Van Hevel Switzerland Heiri Suter France Henri Pélissier
1925 Longchamp France Achille Souchard Belgium Hector Martin France Romain Bellenger
1926 Longchamp France Henri Pélissier France Gabriel Marcillac France Charles Lacquehay
1927 Longchamp France Gabriel Marcillac France Henri Pélissier Belgium Hector Martin
1928 Longchamp France Charles Lacquehay Belgium Gérard Debaets France Lucien Choury
1929 Longchamp France Georges Wambst France Armand Blanchonnet France Charles Lacquehay
1930 Longchamp France Camille Foucaux France Henri Lemoine France André Mouton
1931 Longchamp France Jean Maréchal France Henri Lemoine France Georges Wambst
1932 Longchamp France Ernest Terreau France Georges Wambst France Jean Maréchal
1933 Longchamp France Charles Pélissier Belgium Romain Gijssels France Ernest Terreau
1934 Longchamp France André Leducq France Charles Pélissier France Julien Moineau
1935 Longchamp France Ernest Terreau Belgium Edgard De Caluwé Belgium Romain Gijssels
1936 Longchamp France Ernest Terreau France René Debenne France Maurice Richard
1937 Longchamp France Georges Paillard France Paul Chocque France Victor Cosson
1938 Longchamp Netherlands Gerrit Schulte France René Debenne Italy Cesare Moretti Jr.
1939-1942 No race
1943 Longchamp France Raoul Lesueur Belgium Joseph Somers Belgium Maurice Clautier
1944-1946 No race
1947 Longchamp France Émile Carrara France Émile Idée France Lucien Teisseire
1948 Longchamp Belgium Rik Van Steenbergen France Apo Lazaridès France Louis Caput
1949 Longchamp France Louison Bobet Italy Fausto Coppi Netherlands Wim van Est
1950 Longchamp France Louison Bobet Belgium Stan Ockers France Robert Varnajo
1951 Longchamp Switzerland Hugo Koblet Belgium Rik Van Steenbergen France Louison Bobet
1952 Longchamp Belgium Rik Van Steenbergen France Louison Bobet France André Darrigade
1953 Longchamp France Louison Bobet Belgium Stan Ockers Switzerland Ferdi Kübler
1954 Longchamp France Louison Bobet France Jacques Anquetil Switzerland Ferdi Kübler
1955 Longchamp Belgium Rik Van Steenbergen Spain Miguel Poblet Belgium Stan Ockers
1956 Longchamp France Bernard Gauthier Belgium Rik Van Steenbergen France Roger Rivière
1957 Longchamp Belgium Rik Van Steenbergen France André Darrigade France Louison Bobet
1958 Longchamp Belgium Rik Van Steenbergen France André Darrigade France Raphaël Géminiani
1959 Longchamp France Jacques Anquetil Belgium Rik Van Steenbergen France Jean Bobet
1960 Longchamp France Jacques Anquetil France André Darrigade Belgium Rik Van Looy
1961 Longchamp Belgium Rik Van Looy Belgium Rik Van Steenbergen France André Darrigade
1962 Longchamp Germany Rudi Altig Belgium Rik Van Steenbergen France André Darrigade
1963 Longchamp France Jacques Anquetil United Kingdom Tom Simpson Belgium Rik Van Looy
1964 Longchamp Netherlands Peter Post Belgium Edward Sels France Jacques Anquetil
1965 Longchamp France Jacques Anquetil Netherlands Jan Janssen Germany Rudi Altig
1966 Longchamp Netherlands Gerben Karstens Italy Felice Gimondi France Raymond Poulidor
1967 Lac Daumesnil Belgium Eddy Merckx France Jacques Anquetil Italy Felice Gimondi
1968 Le Havre Italy Felice Gimondi France Raymond Poulidor Denmark Ole Ritter
1969 Le Havre Belgium Walter Godefroot France Raymond Delisle Belgium Julien Stevens
1970 Lac Daumesnil Belgium Eddy Merckx Belgium Herman Van Springel France Lucien Aimar
1971 No race
1972 Felletin France Raymond Poulidor France Bernard Thévenet Belgium Walter Godefroot
1973 Tilburg, NL Netherlands Gerben Karstens Italy Felice Gimondi Belgium Eddy Merckx
1974 Nogaro Belgium Eddy Merckx Belgium Freddy Maertens Netherlands Gerben Karstens
1975 Belfort Belgium Roger De Vlaeminck Belgium Herman Van Springel Belgium Freddy Maertens
1976 Valkenburg, NL Belgium Freddy Maertens Belgium Eddy Merckx Netherlands Gerben Karstens
1977 Châteaulin Italy Francesco Moser Belgium Herman Van Springel Belgium Ronald De Witte
1978 Orchies France Michel Laurent Netherlands Jan Raas Belgium Herman Van Springel
1979 La Défense Netherlands Joop Zoetemelk Belgium Daniel Willems France Bernard Hinault
1980 La Défense Netherlands Joop Zoetemelk Belgium Herman Van Springel France Patrick Hosotte
1981 La Défense Belgium Daniel Willems Belgium Herman Van Springel Republic of Ireland Stephen Roche
1982 La Défense France Bernard Hinault Republic of Ireland Sean Kelly France Alain Bondue
1983 Genève, Sui United States Greg LeMond France Pascal Poisson Republic of Ireland Sean Kelly
1984 Montreuil-sous-Bois Republic of Ireland Sean Kelly Belgium Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke Belgium Claude Criquielion
1985 Montreuil-sous-Bois Republic of Ireland Sean Kelly Belgium Eric Vanderaerden Belgium Claude Criquielion
1986 Montreuil-sous-Bois Republic of Ireland Sean Kelly Netherlands Adrie van der Poel Portugal Acácio da Silva
1987 Montreuil-sous-Bois France Charly Mottet Belgium Eric Vanderaerden Republic of Ireland Sean Kelly
1988 Montreuil-sous-Bois Belgium Claude Criquielion Republic of Ireland Sean Kelly France Pascal Poisson
1989 Port Leucate Belgium Laurent Fignon Republic of Ireland Sean Kelly France Éric Caritoux
1990 Lac Daumesnil France Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle France Charly Mottet France Laurent Fignon

Notes

    References

    1. 1 2 Memoire du Cyclisme, Results Archived June 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
    2. 1 2 3 Velo Archive - Critérium des As
    3. 1 2 3 Sporting Cyclist, UK, undated cutting
    4. James, Tom (2003), "Critérium des As", VeloArchive, Slough: veloarchive.com
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.