Bordeaux – Paris

The title of this article is ambiguous. For the rail link, see the Paris – Bordeaux line .

The British participants in the first running of the race in 1891

The classic Bordeaux – Paris cycle race was the longest European one-day race in cycling from 1952 until it was held for the last time in 1988, with a length of over 600 kilometers . Previously only Paris – Brest – Paris was longer than 1200 kilometers.

Held directly from Bordeaux to Paris and known as the Derby , the race was first organized in 1891 . The reason for choosing the route was that the organizing newspaper Véloce-Sport had relocated its editorial staff from Bordeaux to Paris. To make the race particularly attractive, British amateur racing drivers were hired, who were considered to be the best in the world. The British gentlemen , however, refused to compete against French professionals, "men from the people", even if the British received generous support with material from the domestic bicycle industry, which gave them advantages. The organizers gave in to this request, so that not a single French was among the top four; the best French racing drivers were only allowed to participate as a pacemaker for the British drivers. The successes were widely advertised so that the British bicycle manufacturers could expand their position on the French market.

The very first winner, the Briton George Pilkington Mills, drove the entire route without long breaks and took just under 24 hours. In contrast to other classics such as Paris – Roubaix or Milan – Sanremo , the race took place with pacemakers right up to the end, which drove at least in parts of the route directly in front of the cyclists . In the slipstream of these pacemakers motorized with a derny from the 1930s , the drivers reached higher speeds, the strategic importance of a main field and the slipstream driving there was reduced. The race in 1947 had a curious outcome when all the other drivers except for the winner Joseph Somers and the runner-up Dubuisson ended the competition prematurely.

Since the 1960s, the race's popularity has steadily declined. The length of the route, which is completely unusual for modern cycling, and the corresponding special preparation required for it, meant that more and more riders gave up the classic. The race was held for the last time for professionals in 1988 . Since then, Bordeaux – Paris has only been continued for amateur cyclists.

The record holder at the Derby with seven successes between 1970 and 1981 is the Belgian Herman Van Springel .

At the race in 1911 there was a sensation when the French journalist Marcel Violette accompanied the race with a Farman military aircraft .

Winners list

1988 Jean-François Rault  1987 Bernard Vallet  1986 Gilbert Glaus  1985 René Martens  1984 Hubert Linard  1983 Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle  1982 Marcel Tinazzi  1981 Herman Van Springel  1980 Herman Van Springel  1979 André Chalmel  1978 Herman Van Springel  1977 Herman Van Springel  1976 Walter Godefroot  1975 Herman Van Springel  1974 Herman Van Springel  1973 Enzo Mattioda  1971–1972 not held 1970 Herman Van Springel  1969 Walter Godefroot  1968 Émile Bodart  1967 Georges Van Coningsloo  1966 Jan Janssen  1965 Jacques Anquetil  1964 Michel Nedelec  1963 Tom Simpson  1962 Jo de Roo  1961 Wim van Est  1960 Marcel Janssens  1959 Louison Bobet  1958 Jean-Marie Cieleska

1957 Bernard Gauthier  1956 Bernard Gauthier  1955 not held 1954 Bernard Gauthier  1953 Ferdy Kübler  1952 Wim van Est  1951 Bernard Gauthier  1950 Wim van Est  1949 Jacques Moujica  1948 Ange Le Strat  1947 Joseph Somers  1946 Émile Masson Jr.  1940–1945 not held 1939 Marcel Laurent  1938 Marcel Laurent  1937 Joseph Somers  1936 Paul Chocque  1935 Edgard De Caluwé  1934 Jean Noret  1933 Fernand Mithouard  1932 Romain Gijssels  1931 Bernard Van Rysselberghe  1930 Georges Ronsse  1929 Georges Ronsse  1928 Hector Martin  1927 Georges Ronsse  1926 Adelin Benoit  1925 Heiri Suter  1924 Francis Pélissier  1923 Émile Masson Sr.

1922 Francis Pélissier  1921 Eugène Christophe  1920 Eugène Christophe  1919 Henri Pélissier  1915–1918 not held 1914 Paul Deman  1913 Louis Mottiat  1912 Émile Georget  1911 François Faber  1910 Émile Georget  1909 C. Van Hauwaert  1908 Louis Trousselier  1907 C. Van Hauwaert  1906 Marcel Cadolle  1905 Hippolyte Aucouturier  1904 Fernand Augereau  1903 Hippolyte Aucouturier  1902 Maurice Garin  1902 Édouard Wattelier  1901 Lucien Lesna  1900 Josef Fischer  1899 Constant Huret  1898 Gaston Rivierre  1897 Gaston Rivierre  1896 Arthur Linton / Gaston Rivierre   1895 Charles Meyer  1894 Lucien Lesna  1893 Louis Cottereau  1892 Auguste Stéphane  1891 George Pilkington Mills

Web links

• Bordeaux – Paris in the database of Radsportseiten.net

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Benjo Maso : The Sweat of the Gods. The history of cycling . Covadonga Verlag , Bielefeld 2011, ISBN 978-3-936973-60-0 , p. 15 .
2. ↑ Express-Verlag (ed.): Illustrated Radsportexpress . No. 9/1947 . Berlin, S. 7 .
3. ↑ Hervé Paturle, Guillaume Rebière: Un siècle de cyclisme . Calmann- Lévy, Paris 1997, p. 64 (French).