 |
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 |
 Brainchild
of Gaston Bénac (Senior sports editor at Paris-Soir),
the Criterium National de la Route, born in 1932, was
from the outset considered to be the unofficial spring French
National Championship. The pick of the crop in French cycling
found itself put to the test on a course typical of cycling
in the Paris area - setting off in the windy plains of southern
Ile-de-France, pedalling north through the Vallée de
Chevreuse, up to the finishing line in the Parc des Princes.
This most popular of races, run along a demanding route, asserted
its uniqueness from the start, with a list of prestigious winners.
Over the years, the race’s name itself - National Criterium
- led organizers (at first L’Equipe, then the Société
du Tour de France) to think about widening participation and
holding the race in other parts of France.
The Spring Championship thus changed locale, seeking new horizons
throughout France. Meanwhile it settled on its present-day omnium
format, a triptych favouring all-round riders. During the dark
years of World War II (from 1941 to 1943) two distinct races
were run each year, one in occupied France, one in unoccupied
France. Starting in 1979, foreign riders were admitted and it
thus became the Critérium International in 1980.
Starting with Leon Le Calvez in 1932 up to the German Jens Voigt
in 1999, cycling greats have shaped the race’s legend for
nearly seven decades: Leducq, R. Lapébie, Le Grevès,
C. Danguillaume, L. Bobet, Hassenforder, Darrigade, J. Groussard,
J.P. Danguillaume, Thévenet, Hinault, Fignon, Kelly,
Indurain, Roche, J.F. Bernard, L. Jalabert, as well as Englishman
Chris Boardman and American Bobby Julich are among the winners.
Like any major cycling race, the Criterium has its shining stars:
with five victories apiece, Emile Idée and Raymond Poulidor
hold the record for victories, the former having shone in the
forties while the latter piled up his victories (as well as
a few second-place finishes) between 1964 and 1972. The Criterium
National was one of the highlights of the Anquetil-Poulidor
rivalry. During a six-year stretch going from 1963 to 1968,
victory changed hands between them every year, with the other
finishing second. In the end Poulidor was to succeed, edging
Anquetil 5 victories to 4. An epic rivalry which laid the ground
for the Criterium’s prestige. |
| Past Winners |
| 1932 |
LE CALVEZ 207 km |
| 1933 |
LEDUCQ 217 km |
| 1934 |
R. LAPEBIE 204 km |
| 1935 |
LE GREVES 220 km |
| 1936 |
CHOCQUE 243 km |
| 1937 |
R. LAPEBIE & LE GREVES |
|
|
ex aequo 207 km |
| 1938 |
JAMINET 232 km |
| 1939 |
DEFORGE 245 km |
| 1940 |
IDEE 174 km |
| 1941 |
Y. MARIE
| ZO 180 km |
|
FAURE | ZNO 188
km |
| 1942 |
IDEE
| ZO 193 km |
|
BERTOCCO | ZNO
185 km |
| 1943 |
IDEE
| ZO 200 km |
|
L. GAUTHIER | ZNO
190 km |
| 1944 |
PIEL 205 km |
| 1945 |
GOUTORBE 190 km |
| 1946 |
PIOT 205 km |
| 1947 |
IDEE 205 km |
| 1948 |
C. DANGUILLAUME 198 km |
| 1949 |
IDEE 225 km |
| 1950 |
BARBOTIN 225 km |
| 1951 |
L. BOBET 225 km |
| 1952 |
L. BOBET 222 km |
| 1953 |
DESBATS 222 km |
| 1954 |
HASSENFORDER 223 km |
| 1955 |
PRIVAT 222 km |
| 1956 |
HASSENFORDER 223 km |
| 1957 |
FORESTIER 222 km |
| 1958 |
HASSENFORDER 244 km |
| 1959 |
DARRIGADE 250 km |
| 1960 |
GRACZYK 250 km |
| 1961 |
ANQUETIL 250 km |
| 1962 |
J. GROUSSARD 250 km |
| 1963 |
ANQUETIL 175 km |
| 1964 |
POULIDOR 298 km |
|
|
| 1965 |
ANQUETIL 324 km |
| 1966 |
POULIDOR 300 km |
| 1967 |
ANQUETIL 223 km |
| 1968 |
POULIDOR 223 km |
| 1969 |
BELLONE 264 km |
| 1970 |
CHAPPE 255 km |
| 1971 |
POULIDOR 236 km |
| 1972 |
POULIDOR 212 km |
| 1973 |
J.P. DANGUILLAUME 222 km |
| 1974 |
THEVENET 228 km |
| 1975 |
ESCLASSAN 214 km |
| 1976 |
BEON 216 km |
| 1977 |
CHASSANG 236 km |
| 1978 |
HINAULT 237 km |
| 1979 |
ZOETEMELK 242 km |
| 1980 |
LAURENT 251 km |
| 1981 |
HINAULT 284 km |
| 1982 |
FIGNON 280 km |
| 1983 |
KELLY 292 km |
| 1984 |
KELLY 281 km |
| 1985 |
ROCHE 276 km |
| 1986 |
ZIMMERMAN 281 km |
| 1987 |
KELLY 276 km |
| 1988 |
BREUKINK 288 km |
| 1989 |
INDURAIN 284 km |
| 1990 |
FIGNON 308 km |
| 1991 |
ROCHE 310 km |
| 1992 |
BERNARD 290 km |
| 1993 |
BREUKINK 291 km |
| 1994 |
FURLAN 297 km |
| 1995 |
L. JALABERT 288 km |
| 1996 |
BOARDMAN 278 km |
| 1997 |
GARCIA 276 km |
| 1998 |
JULICH 278 km |
| 1999 |
VOIGT 274 km |
| 2000 |
OLANO 284,5 km |
| 2001 |
R. VERBRUGGHE 303,5 km |
|
| | ZNO |
zone non occupée |
| | ZO |
zone occupée |
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