Paris-Roubaix podium history | 1950 edition | 1948 edition
Les Woodland's book Cycling's 50 Craziest Stories is available as an audiobook here. For the print and Kindle eBook versions, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
The race:
The 1949 Paris-Roubaix was 244 km long and raced at an average speed of 39.356 km/hr.
There were 217 starters and 109 classified finishers. 42 riders were awarded 12th place.
About this race, L'Equipe's headline: "SCANDALE A L'ARIVEE D'UN DECEVANT PARIS-ROUBAIX. Mahé, premier après avoir parcouru 200 m. de plus es déclasse au bénéfice...de Serse Coppi"
To explain: The leading trio of Mahé, Leenen and Moujica were misdirected when they arrived at the Roubaix velodrome. They did find their their way in and on to the track and André Mahé seemed to be the winner. Then Fausto Coppi's brother Serse won the field sprint. Coppi argued Mahé hadn't ridden the official race course and should be disqualified. Serse was then given the win. The whole controversy stewed for months until it was finally ruled a tie.
It's more fun and more complicated than my short summary. Les Woodland talked to André Mahé about that day. Read the whole story in his Cycling's 50 Craziest Stories (the linkto the book is just up and on the right of this page).
Serse Coppi (left) and Fausto Coppi after the 1949 Paris-Roubaix
André Mahé
Complete Results: