Paris – Roubaix 1944

Race result
winner	Maurice Desimpelaere	6h 09 '57 "
2.	Jules Rossi	equal time
3.	Louis Thiétard	equal time
4th	Raymond Goussot	equal time
5.	Emiel Faignaert	equal time
6th	Georges Claes	equal time
7th	Alvaro Giorgetti	equal time
8th.	Amédée Rolland	equal time
9.	Manuel Hueguet	equal time
10.	Lucien Vlaemynck	equal time

Paving stone for Maurice Desimpelaere in honor of his victory at Paris-Roubaix

The one-day race Paris – Roubaix 1944 was the 42nd edition of the cycling classic and took place on Sunday, April 9th, 1944.

The race led from Saint-Denis , north of Paris , to Roubaix , where it ended in the Vélodrome André-Pétrieux . The route was 250 kilometers long. 172 drivers started, of which 89 were able to place. The winner Maurice Desimpelaere completed the race with an average speed of 39.897 km / h .

The weather was mild and sunny. With 20 kilometers to go, six moved ahead. They were held up by a closed railroad barrier for 20 seconds so that another five drivers could unlock. Jules Rossi , winner of Paris – Roubaix 1937 , put on the sprint for his teammate Lucien Vlaemynck , but Desimpelaere passed him and won.

France was still occupied by the German Wehrmacht in April 1944 , and journalists driving home from the race were bombed. Jean Robic , 1947 winner of the Tour de France , fell badly and suffered a fractured skull base . From that day on he always rode with the leather helmet, for which he was known.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Paris - Roubaix 1944. In: radsportseiten.net. Retrieved June 4, 2015 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b} 1944 Paris - Roubaix bicycle race complete results. In: BikeRaceInfo. Retrieved June 4, 2015 .