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:

1. Serse Coppi (Bianchi-Ursus) & André Mahé (Stella-Dunlop) 6hr 11min 59sec.

3. Frans Leenen s.t.
3. Jésus-Jacques Moujica (Mercier-A. Magne) s.t.
3. Georges Martin s.t.
6. André Declercq s.t.
7. Florent Mathieu (Rochet-Dunlop) s.t.
8. Roger Gyselinck s.t.
9. Achiel Buysse s.t. (Paris-Roubaix scholar Pascal Sergent shows Albert Anciaux as 9th place)
10. Albert Anciaux s.t. (Sergent shows Josef Verhaert finishing tenth)
11. Norbert Callens s.t.
12. Lode Anthonis (Erka-Terrot) s.t.
12. Louison Bobet (Stella-Dunlop) s.t.
12. Jean Bolly (Elvé-Météore-Griffon) s.t.
12. Jean Breuer (Rochet-Dunlop) s.t.
12. Urbain Caffi (Alcyon-Dunlop) s.t.
12. Louis Caput s.t.
12. Roger Chupin s.t.
12. Georges Claes s.t.
12. Oreste Conte (Bianchi-Ursus) s.t.
12. Fausto Coppi (Bianchi-Ursus) s.t.
12. Albert Decin s.t.
12. Henk De Hoog s.t.
12. Robert Desbats s.t.
12. Emiel Faignaert s.t.
12. Ugo Fondelli (Viscontea) s.t.
12. Gabriel Gaudin s.t.
12. Raphaël Géminiani s.t.
12. Jesus Geus s.t.
12. Emile Idée (Peugeot-Dunlop) s.t.
12. Raymond Impanis s.t.
12. René Janssens (Van Hauwaert-Dubonnet) s.t.
12. Désiré Keteleer s.t.
12. Edouard Klabinski (Mercier-Hutchinson) s.t.
12. Adolfo Leoni (Legnano-Pirelli) s.t.
12. Nedo Logli (Arbos) s.t.
12. Alfred Macorig (Métropole-Dunlop) s.t.
12. Fiorenzo Magni (Wilier-Triestina) s.t.
12. Maurice Meersman s.t.
12. Ettore Milano (Bianchi-Ursus) s.t.
12. André Pieters s.t.
12. Albert Ramon s.t.
12. Raoul Rémy (La Perle-Hutchinson) s.t.
12. André Rosseel s.t.
12. Albéric "Briek" Schotte (Alcyon-Dunlop) s.t.
12. Désiré Stadsbader (Arliguie-Hutchinson) s.t.
12. Ernest Sterckx s.t.
12. Louis Thiétard (Métropole-Dunlop) s.t.
12. Emmanuel Thoma s.t.
12. Joseph Van Staeyen s.t.
12. Adolf Verschueren s.t.
12. René Walschot (Dilecta-Wolber) s.t.
53. José Beyaert @ 43sec
54. Julien Janssens @ 46sec
55. Raymond Desmet @ 54sec
56. Valère Ollivier s.t.
57. Oscar Plattner s.t.
58. Robert Chapatte @ 1min 23sec
59. Maurice Diot s.t.
60. Marcel Kint @ 1min 29sec
61. Elio Castellucci @ 1min 46sec
62. Jean Baldassari @ 2min 20sec
63. Jean Kirchen s.t.
64. Roger Le Nizerhy @ 3min 15sec
65. Jules Depoorter s.t.
66. Lucien Cathelin s.t.
67. Luigi Malabrocca s.t.
68. Paul Chocque s.t.
69. Paul Neri s.t.
70. Louis Déprez @ 4min 52sec
71. Jean Erussard s.t.
72. Andrea Carrea (Bianchi-Ursus) @ 6min 13sec
73. Robert Castelin s.t.
74. Julien Heirnaert @ 6min 35sec
75. Charles Coste s.t.
76. Wim De Ruiter s.t.
77. Jean Martineau @ 6min 45sec
78. Florent Rondele s.t.
79. Roger Creton s.t.
80. Olimpio Bizzi s.t.
81. Frans Gielen s.t.
82. Pierre Scalbi s.t.
83. Bruno Pasquini (Bianchi-Ursus) @ 8min 35sec
84. Maurice Bloome @ 9min 28sec
85. Frans Decoster s.t.
86. Marcel Molines @ 9min 58sec
87. Jean Robic @ 10min 13sec
88. Raymond Scardin s.t.
89. Joseph-Pierre Tacca @ 13min 11sec
90. Jean De Gribaldy (Peugeot-Dunlop) s.t.
91. Jean-Marie Goasmat @ 14min 44sec
92. Dominique Forlini s.t.
93. Bernard Gauthier s.t.
94. Roger Rondeaux s.t.
95. Willy Kemp s.t.
96. Pierre Fautrier s.t.
97. Lionel Van Brabant @ 18min 45sec
98. Fiorenzo Crippa s.t.
99. Aldo Baito s.t.
100. Luigi Casola (Benotto) s.t.
101. Marcel Verschueren s.t.
102. Hans Sommer s.t.
103. Eugène Jacobs s.t.
104. Virgilio Salimbeni (Legnano-Pirelli) @ 19min 30sec
105. Jang Goldschmidt s.t.
106. Alberto Ghirardi s.t.
107. Marcel Dupont s.t.
108. Jean Bozec @ 23min 42sec
109. Raymond Colliot s.t.