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Paris-Roubaix podium history | 1976 edition | 1974 edition

Bill & Carol McGann's book The Story of the Giro d'Italia, Vol 1: 1909 - 1970 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 1975 Paris-Roubaix was 277.5 km long and raced at an average speed of 40.41 km/hr.

There were 158 starters and 43 classified finishers.

The day was sunny, but rain the previous days had made the cobbled sectors muddy and slippery.

Largely through Marc Demeyer's relentless aggression, the lead group was whittled down to just four: Eddy Merckx, Roger de Vlaeminck, André Dierickx and Demeyer.

With eight kilometers to the finish Merckx flatted, front wheel. He got a quick repair and soon rejoined the lead group. He had chased so fast that he was able to rejoin the leaders with 3km to go on the main road. He was actually going too fast to stop, so went right past the group out of the saddle.

Come the finish Merckx led out the sprint from a long way back with de Vlaeminck on his wheel. At the end de Vlaeminck barely came around him to win his third Paris-Roubaix.

Late in the race. Eddy Merckx leads eventual winner Roger de Vlaeminck. Behind them are André Dierickx & Marc Demeyer. Photo: John Pierce/Photosport International UK-USA-Asia. Thank you Mr. Pierce for this wonderful piece of history.

Complete Results:

1. Roger de Vlaeminck (Brooklyn) 6hr 52min 4sec.

2. Eddy Merckx (Molteni) s.t.
3. André Dierickx (Rokado) s.t.
4. Marc Demeyer (Flandria-Carpenter) s.t.
5. Francesco Moser (Filotex) @ 2min 41sec
6. Freddy Maertens (Flandria-Carpenter) s.t.
7. Roger Swerts (Ijsboerke) @ 5min 13sec
8. Walter Godefroot (Flandria-Carpenter) @ 7min 44sec
9. Guido Van Sweevelt (Maes-Watney) @ 9min 19sec
10. Gerben Karstens (Gitane-Campagnolo) @ 10min 33sec
11. Walter Planckaert (Maes-Watney) s.t.
12. José De Cauwer (Frisol-G.B.C.) s.t.
13. Ronald de Witte (Flandria-Carpenter) s.t.
14. José Catieau (Peugeot) s.t.
15. Roger Rosiers (Super Ser-Zeus) @ 11min 15sec
16. Frans van Looy (Molteni) @ 14min 14sec
17. Ludo Delcroix (Molteni) s.t.
18. Tino Tabak (TI-Raleigh) s.t.
19. Willy de Geest (Brooklyn) s.t.
20. Ole Ritter (Filotex) s.t.
21. Cees Bal (Gan-Mercier) s.t.
22. Julien van Lint (Maes-Watney) s.t.
23. Jean-Pierre Danguillaume (Peugeot) s.t.
24. Georges Pintens (Maes-Watney) s.t.
25. Herman van Springel (Falndria-Carpenter) s.t.
26. Eric Leman (Alsaver-Jeunet-De Gribaldy) s.t.
27. Willy Abbeloos (Maes-Watney) s.t.
28. Charly Rouxel (Peugeot) @ 15min 40sec
29. Hennie Kuiper (Frisol-G.B.C.) @ 16min 28sec
30. Robert Mintkiewicz (Gitane-Campagnolo) s.t.
31. Régis Ovion (Peugeot) s.t.
32. Régis Delépine (Flandria-Carpenter) s.t.
33. Gérard Vianen (Gan-Mercier) @ 18min 19sec
34. Hubert Mathis (Alsaver-Jeunet-De Gribaldy) @ 24min 30sec
35. Herman Vrijders (Alsaver-Jeunet-De Gribaldy) s.t.
36. Ludo van Staeyen (Maes-Watney) @ 27min 36sec
37. Lieven Malfait (Maes-Watney) s.t.
38. Louis Verreydt (Ijsboerke) @ 28min 44sec
39. David Lloyd (TI-Raleigh) s.t.
40. Jan Raas (TI-Raleigh) s.t.
41. Karl-Heinz Muddemann (Rokado) @ 29min 25sec
42. Alfred Gaida (Rokado) s.t.
43. Gérard Kamper (Frisol-G.B.C.) @ 32min 8sec