1957 UCI Track World Championships

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 47th UCI Track World Championships took place from August 10th to 15th, 1957 on the Velodrome de Rocourt cycling track near Liège .

For the world championships, the cycling track was equipped with four high headlight masts. This turned out to be necessary because the rain and numerous mishaps in the process and in the races dragged on the competitions in cold, wet weather until late at night. Attendance at the races was moderate, as the Belgian public was more interested in the parallel UCI Road World Championships ; on the final day, however, around 18,000 spectators came.

The commissioners often proved to be overwhelmed, so that the British sprint world champion from 1954, Cyril Peacock , voluntarily withdrew after a controversial race. The decision in the single pursuit was also controversial: First Franco Gandini was declared world champion and was already on the lap of honor; only after massive protests by the public and observers was this decision revised.

At the world championship for professional sprinters, two "veteran" Dutch drivers, Jan Derksen and Arie van Vliet , managed a surprise because Reg Harris and Antonio Maspes had been favored beforehand . Derksen was 38 years old at the time of his victory, van Vliet 41 years old; van Vliet then ended his cycling career. The 1951 Tour de France winner, Hugo Koblet , competed in the standers, but he had to give up in the run-up due to seat problems.

Results of the professionals

discipline space country athlete
sprint 1 NetherlandsNetherlands Netherlands Jan Derksen
2 NetherlandsNetherlands Netherlands Arie van Vliet
3 FranceFrance France Roger Gaignard
Single pursuit (5000 m) 1 FranceFrance France Roger Rivière
2 FranceFrance France Albert Bouvet
3 ItalyItaly Italy Guido Messina
Standing race (100 km) 1 BelgiumBelgium Belgium Paul Depaepe / Emile Vandenbosch
2 SwitzerlandSwitzerland Switzerland Walter Bucher / Arthur Pasquier
3 AustraliaAustralia Australia Graeme French / Georges Grolimund

Results of the amateurs

discipline space country athlete
sprint 1 FranceFrance France Michel Rousseau
2 ItalyItaly Italy Guglielmo Pesenti
3 ItalyItaly Italy Valentino Gasparella
Single pursuit (4000 m) 1 ItalyItaly Italy Carlo Simonigh
2 ItalyItaly Italy Franco Gandini
3 NetherlandsNetherlands Netherlands From Geldermans

literature

  • Cycling , August / September 1957