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The race:
The Four Days of Dunkirk (Quatre Jours de Dunkerque ) bicycle race no longer takes 4 days to complete. In 2009 the race was both 6 stages and 6 days long.
It started out in 1955 as a 4-day race in the the Nord-Pas de Calais region of Northern France but in 1963 the race added a time trial. The organizers chose to retain the orginal name, and so it is today.
Held in early May (where it can conflict with the Giro d'Italia), a look below at the riders who have made the podium of Four days of Dunkirk shows that it is a very prestigious race.
Since 2005 the UCI has ranked it as an "HC" level race and in 2020 it was made a "2.Pro" race.
Complete podium history of The Four Days of Dunkirk:
Year |
1st Place |
2nd Place |
3rd Place |
Distance |
Average speed |
1955 | Louis Deprez 13hr 26min 17sec |
Roland Callebout @ 2min 20sec |
Roger Callewaert @ 4min 25sec |
532.5 km |
39.626 |
1956 | Jean Adriaensens 19hr 6min 18sec |
Gilbert Desmet @ 1min 26sec |
Albert Bouvet @ 2min 4sec |
687 km |
35.959 |
1957 | Joseph Planckaert 21hr 54min 45sec |
Pierre Everaert @ 2min 1sec |
Jean Stablinski 2min 30sec |
787 km |
35.916 |
1958 | Jacques Anquetil 20hr 52min 38sec |
Jean Brankart @ 1min 15sec |
André Darrigade @ 1min 37sec |
779 km |
37.313 |
1959 | Jacques Anquetil 18hr 46min 11sec |
Joseph Morvan @ 49sec |
Frans Aerenhouts @ 2min 15sec |
701 km |
37.347 |
1960 | Joseph Planckaert 20hr 34min 30sec |
Jean Stablinski @ 51sec |
Pierre Everaert @ 1min |
813 km |
39.513 |
1961 | Albertus "Ab" Geldermans 20hr 34min 15sec |
Raymond Poulidor @ 1min 2sec |
Pierre Beuffeuil @ 2min 10sec |
785.7 km |
38.195 |
1962 | Joseph Groussard 21hr 17min 38sec |
Jean-Baptiste Claes @ 8sec |
Piet Rentmeester @ 2min 5sec |
792 km |
37.193 |
1963 | Joseph Planckaert 25hr 50min 48sec |
Hans Junkermann @ 52sec |
André Messelis @ 2min 20sec |
963 km |
37.258 |
1964 | Gilbert Desmet 23hr 10min 21sec |
Yvo Molenaers @ 10sec |
Joseph Huysmans @ 37sec |
902 km |
38.925 |
1965 | Gustave Desmet 25hr 47min 8sec |
Pierre Everaert @ 44sec |
Arie Den Hartog @ 1min 3sec |
926.4 km |
35.927 |
1966 | Théo Mertens 24hr 34min 9sec |
Jan Janssen @ 6sec |
Pierre Beuffeuil @ 53sec |
939.9 km |
38.255 |
1967 | Lucien Aimar 23hr 53min 3sec |
Jean-Baptiste Claes @ 59sec |
Bernard Guyot @ 1min 30sec |
921.1 km |
38.565 |
1968 | Jean Jourden 24hr 21min 42sec |
Rémi Van Vreckom @ 1min 6sec |
Raymond Poulidor @ 1min 13sec |
943.4 km |
38.725 |
1969 | Alain Vasseur 24hr 38min 19sec |
Rini Wagtmans @ 10sec |
Willy In't Ven @ 22sec |
955.1 km |
38.764 |
1970 | Willy Vanneste 22hr 5min 38sec |
Jean-Marie Leblanc @ 7sec |
Henri Heintz @ 1min 39sec |
906.3 km |
41.020 |
1971 | Roger De Vlaeminck 22hr 53min 29sec |
Willy Van Malderghem @ 55sec |
Jurgen Tschan @ 59sec |
926 km |
40.452 |
1972 | Yves Hézard 22hr 22min 1sec |
Luis Ocaña @ 20sec |
Ferdi Bracke @ 30sec |
941.7 km |
42.071 |
1973 | Freddy Maertens 22hr 54min 51sec |
Frans Verbeeck @ 3sec |
Joop Zoetemelk @ 13sec |
975.4 km |
42.568 |
1974 | Walter Goodefroot 23hr 59min 16sec |
Michael Wright @ 3min 17sec |
Freddy Maertens @ 4min 10sec |
953.7 km |
39.758 |
1975 | Freddy Maertens 24hr 19min 28sec |
Jean-Pierre Danguillaume @ 14sec |
Bernard Thévénet @ 25sec |
976.7 km |
40.153 |
1976 | Freddy Maertens 23hr 24min 11sec |
Jean-Pierre Danguillaume @ 12sec |
Roger Legeay @ 1min 6sec |
945.5 km |
40.401 |
1977 | Gerrie Knetemann 22hr 22min 54sec |
Joseph Jacobs @ 8sec |
Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke @ 33sec |
881.3 km |
39.376 |
1978 | Freddy Maertens 24hr 23min 44sec |
Jean-Pierre Danguillaume @ 49sec |
Gerrie Knetemann @ 4min 56sec |
995.6 km |
40.811 |
1979 | Daniel Willems 22hr 46min 6sec |
Bert Oosterbosch @ 49sec |
Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke @ 51sec |
926.2 km |
40.679 |
1980 | Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke 23hr 16min 56sec |
Hubert Linard @ 41sec |
Joaquim Agostinho @ 56sec |
926.8 km |
39.807 |
1981 | Bert Oosterbosch 22hr 53min 43sec |
Sean Kelly @ 24sec |
Jacques Bossis @ s.t. |
901.3 km |
39.366 |
1982 | Frank Hoste 25hr 37min 46sec |
Ferdi Van Den Haute @ 4sec |
Stephen Roche @ s.t. |
985.5 km |
38.452 |
1983 | Léo Van Vliet 24hr 12min 33sec |
Paul Sherwen @ 2min 17sec |
William Tackaert @ 3min 2sec |
941.4 km |
38.886 |
1984 | Bernard Hinault 25hr 44min 20sec |
Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke @ 13sec |
Bruno Cornillet @ 23sec |
978.7 km |
38.024 |
1985 | Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke 24hr 47min 4sec |
Bruno Wojtinek @ 13sec |
Rudy Matthijs @ s.t. |
984 km |
39.702 |
1986 | Dirk De Wolf 24hr 23min 43sec |
Régis Simon @ 1min 40sec |
Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle @ 3min 49sec |
894.9 km |
36.683 |
1987 | Herman Frison 23hr 12min 37sec |
Patrice Esnault @ 3sec |
Charly Mottet @ 5min 14sec |
902.9 km |
38.901 |
1988 | Pascal Poisson 24hr 24min 24sec |
Charly Mottet @ 1min 15sec |
Erik Vanderaerden @ 1min 28sec |
954.6 km |
39.112 |
1989 | Charly Mottet 26hr 5min 11sec |
Thierry Marie @ 10sec |
Stephen Roche @ 24sec |
1007.9 km |
38.641 |
1990 | Stephen Roche 23hr 51min 49sec |
François Lemarchand @ 19sec |
Thierry Marie @ 1min 43sec |
855.5 km |
35.850 |
1991 | Charly Mottet 24hr 18min 54sec |
Laurent Jalabert @ 14sec |
Johan Museeuw @ 16sec |
973.5 km |
40.037 |
1992 | Olaf Ludwig 26hr 48min 30sec |
Frans Maasen @ 22sec |
Viatscheslav Ekimov @ 25sec |
1014.5 km |
37.861 |
1993 | Laurent Desbiens 25hr 39min 35sec |
Viatcheslav Ekimov @ 48sec |
Eddy Seigneur @ 1min |
1022 km |
39.829 |
1994 | Eddy Seigneur 27hr 3min 38sec |
Olaf Ludwig @ 28sec |
Andre Tchmil @ 44sec |
1034.9 km |
38.243 |
1995 | Johan Museeuw 23hr 25min 5sec |
François Simon @ 5sec |
Erik Zabel @ 38sec |
972 km |
41.506 |
1996 | Philippe Gaumont 24hr 14min 7sec |
Thierry Laurent @ 2sec |
Olaf Ludwig @ 18sec |
988.4 km |
40.783 |
1997 | Johan Museeuw 23hr 24min 25sec |
Frank Vandenbroucke @ 11sec |
Daniele Contini @ 21sec |
977.8 km |
41.734 |
1998 | Alexandre Vinokourov 24hr 52min 29sec |
Arturas Kasputis @ 34sec |
Evgeni Berzin @ 1min |
1050.2 km |
42.212 |
1999 | Michael Sandstod 22hr 36min 13sec |
Enrico Cassani @ 9sec |
Christian Vande Velde @ 16sec |
990.5 km |
43.820 |
2000 | Martin Rittsel 22hr 52min 7sec |
Arturas Kasputis @ 24sec |
Robert Hunter @ 1min 6sec |
966.3 km |
42.254 |
2001 | Didier Rous 24hr 22min 13sec |
Laurent Jalabert @ 40sec |
Stéphen Heulot @ 1min 13sec |
1039.2 km |
42.642 |
2002 | Sylvain Chavanel 19hr 41min 47sec |
Didier Rous @ 25sec |
Laurent Brochard @ 1min 26sec |
886 km |
44.983 |
2003 | Christophe Moreau 20hr 26min 5sec |
Didier Rous @ 29sec |
Laurent Brochard @ 1min 19sec |
876.4 km |
42.888 |
2004 | Sylvain Chavanel 21hr 23min 43sec |
Laurent Brochard @ 31sec |
Didier Rous @ 37sec |
861.5 km |
40.266 |
2005 | Pierrick Fedrigo 21hr 14min 55sec |
Vladimir Efimkin @ 12sec |
Christophe Moreau @ 19sec |
891.3 km |
41.946 |
2006 | Roberto Petito 21hr 33min 24sec |
Stéphane Petilileau @ 4sec |
Didier Rous @ 16sec |
899.7 km |
41.736 |
2007 | Mathieu Ladagnous 22hr 13min 25sec |
Laurent Lefevre @ 13sec |
Dominique Cornu @ 14sec |
932.4 km |
41.955 |
2008 | Stéphane Augé 25hr 45min 48sec |
Clément Lhôtellerie @ 1min 36sec |
Pierrick Fedrigo @ 1min 54sec |
1065.4 km |
41.353 |
2009 | Rui Alberto Faria 23hr 36min 57sec |
David Lelay @ 9sec |
Cyril Lemoine @ 18sec |
980.3 km |
41.51 |
2010 | Martin Elmiger 21hr 36min 3sec |
Rui Alberto Faria @ 4sec |
José Joaquin Rojas @ 17sec |
888.0 km |
41.104 |
2011 | Thomas Voeckler 20hr 36min 1sec |
Laurent Pichon @ 1min 50sec |
Zdenek Stybar @ 1min 52sec |
882.40 km |
42.827 |
2012 | Jimmy Engoulvent 21hr 4min 0sec |
Zdenek Stybar @ 42sec |
John Degenkolb @ 45sec |
887.5 km |
42.128 |
2013 | Arnaud Demare 20hr 37min 21sec |
Florian Vachon @ 16sec |
Ramon Sinkeldam @ 26sec |
857.8 km |
41.579 |
2014 | Arnaud Demare 22hr 14min 25sec |
Sylvain Chavanel @ 6sec |
Michael Valgren Andersen @ s.t. |
893.2 km |
40.161 |
2015 | Ignatas Konovalovas 21hr 25min 3sec |
Bryan Coquard @ 14sec |
Alo Jakin @ 31sec |
883.2 km |
41.237 |
2016 | Bryan Coquard 21hr 24min 3sec |
Marco Frapporti @ 30sec |
Xandro Meurisse @ 31sec |
892.6 km |
41.686 km/hr |
2017 | Clement Venturini 24hr 57min 13sec |
Sander Armee @ 2sec |
Oliver Naesen @ 7sec |
1,030.8 km | 41.305 km/hr |
2018 | Dimitri Claeys 24hr 52min 54sec |
André Greipel @ 1sec |
Oscar Riesebeek @ 2sec |
1,037.1 km | 41.678 km/hr |
2019 | Mike Teunissen 25hr 37min 41sec |
Amund Jansen @ 24sec |
Jens Keukeleire @ 32sec |
1,055.7 km | 41.181 km/hr |
2020 | Race cancelled because of coronavirus pandemic | ||||
2021 | Race cancelled because of coronavirus pandemic | ||||
2022 | Philippe Gilbert 25hr 0min 26sec |
Oliver Naesen @ 4sec |
Jake Stewart @ 5sec |
1,054.1 km |
42.152 km/hr |
2023 | Romain Grégoire 21hr 14min 8sec |
Kasper Asgreen @ 13sec |
Cees Bol @ 15sec |
926.5 km |
43.630 km/hr |
2024 | Sam Bennett 23hr 58min 57sec |
Paul Penhoët @ 38sec |
Jenno Berckmoes @ 41sec |
1,045.1 km | 40.904 km/hr |
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