Paris-Roubaix podium history | 1958 edition | 1956 edition

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The race:

The 1957 Paris-Roubaix was 263 km long and raced at an average speed of 34.73 km/hr.

We don't know how many starters there were, but there were 101 classified finishers.

There were two small groups of riders who were awarded the same place, those that came in 18th and 58th.

Here is an edited and shortened machine translation of the race report from the April 9, 1957 issue of Le Monde:

"Winner of the Tour of Flanders eight days ago in the sprint, the Belgian champion Alfred De Bruyne proved how extensive the register of his qualities was by winning alone in the 55th Paris-Roubaix, thus achieving a double that only two of his compatriots, Gaston Rebry in 1934 and Raymond Impanis in 1954 had done before.

"This Paris-Roubaix, upset from start to finish by a violent and cold headwind, ended in a 50-kilometer race between Hénin-Liétard and Roubau. But, for having been late, the fight was none the less beautiful. Alfred De Bruyne finally emerged, after his team-mate Coletto (Italy) paved the way for him by leading a breakaway of some 30 kilometers in the company of Frenchman Barone, who once again took his place among the stars of the race.

"Behind the two leaders the peloton ceaselessly split into several groups, then regrouped.

"At Mons-en-Pévèle (219 kilometers), while Barone and Coletto were only 300 meters ahead, Louison Bobet had to dismount after a puncture. Shortly after, another fall eliminated Robinson. Brankart was also stopped by a puncture. Darrigade, embarrassed at the moment of the fall, was also left behind, but after a good effort joined the peleton, which only included about thirty men. Barone and Coletto during this time could not, despite their efforts, widen their gap any further.

"12 kilometers from the finish, De Bruyne set off. Hassenforder and Gauthier tried to follow him for a while, but had to give up. The Belgian champion caught Coletto and Barone in less than one kilometer, then passed them.

"From then on the race was over. De Bruyne, meter by meter, increased his lead, despite a puncture 1,200 meters from the velodrome, and finished in Roubaix one minute eleven seconds [Ed: some accounts say the gap was 1min 31sec] before the first group of chasers, whose sprint was won by Van Steenbergen ahead of Van Daele and Darrigade."

 

Alfred de Bruyne on his way to winning the 1957 Paris-Roubaix. This picture is from the cover of the April 8, 1957 issue of Miroir-Sprint.

Complete results:

1. Alfred de Bruyne (Carpano-Coppi) 7hr 15min 19sec
2. Rik van Steenbergen (Peugeot-BP-Dunlop) @ 1min 11sec

3. Léon van Daele (Faema-Guerra) s.t.
4. André Darrigade (Helyett-Potin) s.t.
5. Maurice Mollin s.t.
6. Raymond Impanis (Peugeot-BP-Dunlop) s.t.
7. Serge Blusson (Essor-Leroux) s.t.
8. Norbert Kerkhove (Faema-Guerra) s.t.
9. Joseph Groussard s.t.
10. Jacques Dupont (St. Raphaël-Géminiani) s.t.
11. François Mahé s.t.
12. Gilbert Scodeller (Essor-Leroux) s.t.
13. Bernard Gauthier (Mercier-BP-Hutchinson) s.t.
14. Raphaël Géminiani (St. Raphaël-Géminiani) s.t.
15. Ludo Van der Est s.t.
16. Nicolas Barone (St. Raphaël-Géminiani) s.t.
17. Yvo Molenaers s.t.
18. Jacques Anquetil (Helyett-Potin) s.t.
18. Agostino Coletto (Carpano-Coppi)
18. Seamus Elliott (Helyett-Potin) s.t.
18. Michele Gismondi (Carpano-Coppi) s.t.
18. Roger Hassenforder (Essor-Leroux) s.t.
18. Marcel Janssens s.t.
18. Albéric "Briek" Schotte (Peugeot-BP-Dunlop) s.t.
18. Frans Schoubben (Peugeot-BP-Dunlop) s.t.
26. Miguel Poblet (Ignis-Doniselli) @ 2min 32sec
27. Miguel Bover (Faema-Guerra) s.t.
28. Roger Baens (Carpano-Coppi) s.t.
29. Roger Verplaetse (Faema-Guerra) s.t.
30. Alex Close (Peugeot-BP-Dunlop) @ 3min 2sec
31. Alfons Vandenbrande @ 3min 38sec
32. Gerrit Voorting (Locomotief-Vredestein) @ 4min 4sec
33. Wim Van Est (Locomotief-Vredestein) s.t.
34. Pino Cerami (Peugeot-BP) s.t.
35. Jan Adriaenssens (Carpano-Coppi) s.t.
36. Joseph Hoevenaers s.t.
37. Noël Foré (Groene Leeuw) @ 5min 16sec
38. Jean Bobet (L. Bobet-BP-Hutchinson) @ 6min 3sec
39. Angelo Conterno (Bianchi-Pirelli) s.t.
40. Charles Coste (Mercier-BP-Hutchinson) s.t.
41. Julien Schepens (Mercier-BP-Hutchinson) s.t.
42. Jozef Schils (Faema-Guerra) s.t.
43. Germain Derijcke (Faema-Guerra) s.t.
44. Claude Le Ber (L. Bobet-BP-Hutchinson) s.t.
45. Désiré Keteleer (Carpano-Coppi) s.t.
46. Vincenzo Rossello (Asborno-Frejus) s.t.
47. Manuel Bertolo s.t.
48. René Fournier (Mercier-BP-Hutchinson) s.t.
49. Giuseppe Cainero (Carpano-Coppi) @ 6min 41sec
50. Dino Bruni (Bianchi-Pirelli) @ 7min 6sec
51. René Genin @ 7min 19sec
52. Pierre Gouget s.t.
53. Giuseppe Favero (Bianchi-Pirelli) @ 7min 27sec
54. Pierre Beuffeuil (Mercier-BP-Hutchinson) s.t.
55. Albert Dolhats (St. Raphaël-Géminiani) s.t.
56. Gérard Saint (St. Raphaël-Géminiani) s.t.
57. Thijs Roks (Eroba-Vredestein) s.t.
58. Jean-Claude Annaert (St. Raphaël-Géminiani) s.t.
58. Ugo Anzile s.t.
58. Louison Bobet (L. Bobet-BP-Hutchinson) s.t.
58. Jean Brankart s.t.
58. Jozef Planckaert (Peugeot-BP-Dunlop) s.t.
58. René Privat s.t.
58. Antonin Rolland s.t.
58. Emiel Severeyns s.t.
58. Eugène Telotte s.t.
58. Willy Truye (Mercier-BP-Hutchinson) s.t.
68. Jean Stablinski (Essor-Leroux) s.t.
69. Jean Bellay s.t.
70. Attilio Redolfi s.t.
71. Piet Haan s.t.
72. Raymond Plaza s.t.
73. Emmanuel Busto @ 9min 19sec
74. unknown
75. Albert Bouvet @ 9min 47sec
76. Jean Vliegen s.t.
77. Henri Denys (Bertin-The Dura) s.t.
78. Pierre Brun @ 11min 29sec
79. Hein Van Breenen s.t.
80. Arturo Coelho s.t.
81. Norbert Van Tieghem (Groene Leeuw) s.t.
82. Michel van Aerde s.t.
83. Francis Siguenza @ 12min 7sec
84. Francis Pipelin s.t.
85. René Remangeon @ 13min 33sec
86. Jean-Claude Skerl @ 15min 57sec
87. Pierre Michel s.t.
88. Gérard Bouzquet s.t.
89. Claude Barmier s.t.
90. Marcel Carfentan s.t.
91. Ferdinand Auffray @ 17min 45sec
92. André Ruffet s.t.
93. Pierre Pardoen @ 18min 5sec
94. Pietro Giudici @ 21min 22sec
95. Maurice Moucheraud s.t.
96. Piet De Jongh s.t.
97. Jean Lerda s.t.
98. Alves Barbosa @ 25min 27sec
99. Bruno Modenese s.t.
100. Piere Ruby s.t.
101. Alfred Tonello s.t.