Paris-Roubaix podium history | 1951 edition | 1949 edition

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The race:

The 1950 Paris-Roubaix was 247 km long and raced at an average speed of 39.123 km/hr (24.31 mph).

There were 231 starters and 76 classified finishers.

It was a day of torrential rain.

In the lead were 20 riders when they came to the feed station in Arras. There, Coppi attacked, taking only Maurice Diot for company.

Diot's director Antonin Magne told Diot not to work with Coppi. In response to Magne's orders, with 45 kilometers to go, Coppi went solo, riding a 52 x 15 all the way to Roubaix.

Coppi's 1950 Paris-Roubaix is considered one of the great rides in cycling history.

"...Fausto Coppi, the totally prodigious, has crushed Paris-Roubaix" - Jacques Goddet (French journalist and director of the Tour de France 1936 - 1986).

From the Campangolo web site: "On this day in 1950, Fausto Coppi won his one and only Paris-Roubaix title with an incredible solo attack 45km from home. Before the race Tullio Campagnolo had gifted him a specially evolved version of the Gran Sport derailleur designed to excel on the brutal cobbles of 'The Hell of the North'. Coppi is said to have hugged Tulio at the finish."

A big thank you to race photographer John Pierce (PhotoSport International) for his kindness in both confirming that the photo below is of Coppi & Diot in the 1950 Paris-Roubaix and for supplying the above Campagnolo quote.

 

This is Fausto Coppi and Maurice Diot on their break.

Complete Results:

1. Fausto Coppi (Bianchi-Ursus) 6hr 18min 48sec

2. Maurice Diot (Mercier-Hutchinson) @ 2min 45sec
3. Fiorenzo Magni (Wilier-Triestina) @ 5min 24sec
4. Charles Coste (Peugeot-Dunlop) s.t.
5. Gino Sciardis @ 7min 7sec
6. Pierre Molinéris @ 7min 40sec
7. André Declercq @ 7min 54sec
8. Georges Meunier (La Perle-Hutchinson) s.t.
9. Georges Claes s.t.
10. Marcel Kint s.t.
11. Edward Van Dyck s.t.
12. Emmanuel Thoma (Ruche-Dunlop) s.t.
13. André Rosseel s.t.
14. Jacques-Jésus Moujica (Mercier-A. Magne) s.t.
15. Louison Bobet (Stella-Dunlop) s.t.
16. Rik van Steenbergen (Mercier-Hutchinson) @ 8min 48sec
17. Oreste Conte (Bianchi-Ursus) @ 8min 55sec
18. Philippe Martineau (Dilecta-Wolber) @ 9min 15sec
19. Adolphe Braeckeveldt @ 9min 18sec
20. Marcel De Mulder @ 11min 6sec
21. Alphonse Devreese (Peugeot-Dunlop) s.t.
22. Ettore Milano (Bianchi-Ursus) s.t.
23. Maurice Bloome s.t.
24. Angelo Menon (France Sport-Dunlop) s.t.
25. Edouard Klabinski (Mercier-Hutchinson) s.t.
26. Albert Sercu (Bertin-Wolber) s.t.
27. Emile Vanderveken (Starnord-Wolber) s.t.
28. Albert Ramon (Bertin-Wolber) s.t.
29. Albert Dubuisson (Rochet-Dunlop) s.t.
30. Alfredo Pasotti @ 11min 47sec
31. Nello Lauredi (Helyett-Hutchinson) s.t.
32. Antonio Bevilacqua (Wilier-Triestina) @ 13min1sec
33. Roger Decock (Alcyon-Dunlop) s.t.
34. Antonin Rolland (Rhonson-Dunlop) @ 13min 22sec
35. Ferdy Kübler (Tebag) s.t.
36. Roger Queugnet (Peugeot-Dunlop) s.t.
37. Eloi Tassin (Dilecta-Wolber) s.t.
38. René Walschot (Dilecta-Wolber) s.t.
39. Henk De Hoog s.t.
40. Pino Cerami s.t.
41. Fermo Camellini (Elvish-Fontan-Wolber) s.t.
42. Raphaël Géminiani (Métropole-Dunlop) s.t.
43. José Beyaert (Helyett-Hutchinson) s.t.
44. Jean Rey s.t.
45. Roger Duquesne s.t.
46. Wim Van Est (Garin-Wolber) s.t.
47. Jean Bogaerts s.t.
48. Serge Blusson @ 13min 56sec
49. Maurice De Muer (Peugeot-Dunlop) @ 14min 30sec
50. Jean Brun (Cilo) @ 15min 31sec
51. André Blin @ 16min 51sec
52. Robert Bonnaventure @ 16min 57sec
53. Etienne Tahon s.t.
54. Frans Gielen s.t.
55. Julien Van Dycke s.t.
56. Elias Walckiers s.t.
57. Roger De Corte s.t.
58. Albert Decin s.t.
59. Marcel Molines @ 18min 26sec
60. Jean Lauk s.t.
61. Henri Van Kerkhove s.t.
62. Marino Contarin @ 20min 55sec
63. Antoine Frankowski @ 21min 42sec
64. Jean Malléjac @ 21min45sec
65. Ange Le Strat @ 22min 50sec
66. René Janssens @ 23min 19sec
67. Roger Roux @ 25min 7sec
68. Jean Engels @ 27min 38sec
69. Roger Prévotal @ 28min 38sec
70. Paul Giacomini @ 31min 46sec
71. Julien Janssens s.t.
72. Eugène Van Roosbroeck s.t.
73. François Bussemey s.t.
74. Emile Teisseire s.t.
75. Serge Meneghetti @ 32min 12sec
76. Roger Buchonnet s.t.