Grand Prix des Nations

Last updated
Grand Prix des Nations
Race details
DateSeptember
RegionFrance
English nameGrand Prix of the Nations
Local name(s)Grand Prix des Nations (in French)
DisciplineRoad
TypeIndividual time-trial
History
First edition1932 (1932)
Editions70
Final edition2004
First winner Flag of France.svg Maurice Archambaud
Most wins Flag of France.svg Jacques Anquetil ( 9 wins)
Final winner Flag of Germany.svg Michael Rich

The Grand Prix des Nations was an individual time trial (against the clock) for both professional and amateur racing cyclists. [1] Held annually in Cannes, France, it was instituted in 1932 and often regarded as the unofficial time trial championship of the world and as a Classic cycle race. The race was the idea of a Parisian newspaper editor called Gaston Bénac. The beret-wearing sports editor was looking for a race to make a name for Paris-Soir , the biggest French evening paper before the war.

Contents

He and his colleague Albert Baker d'Isy had been inspired by the world road race championship in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1931. That, unusually, had been run as a time trial, and the two were impressed and also, they said, aware that a time-trial cost less to organise than a conventional road race. Baker d'Isy decided the name Grand Prix des Nations. [2]

There is a dispute over who devised the first route. The American-French writer René de Latour said in the UK magazine Sporting Cyclist that he did; Baker d'Isy says that he did. The route started near the Versailles château and ran round a triangle through Rambouillet, Maulette, Saint-Rémy-les-Chevreuse, Versailles and Boulogne to finish on the Vélodrome Buffalo where the founder of the Tour de France, Henri Desgrange, had become the world's first hour record holder in 1893. There were three hills, one in the first 100 km, plenty of cobbles, and the last 40 km went through the woods of the Vallée de Chevreuse, a popular area for bike riders. The distance was 142 km. [3]

The introduction of an official time trial champion at the UCI Road World Championships in 1994 and an Olympic individual time trial championship (1996) reduced its importance. With the introduction of the UCI ProTour in 2005, the event was removed from the calendar. Since 2006, Chrono des Nations (formerly Chrono des Herbiers) has effectively taken the place of GP des Nations in the calendar. [4]

History

Race distances have varied. Until 1955, it was approximately 140 km; six years later, the distance was 100 km; from 1965 onwards the distance rarely exceeded 90 km, with many events run of around 75 km. The events were in the Vallée de Chevreuse in the Paris area, then near Cannes on the French Riviera; for five years from 1993, it was held at the Madine Lake in the Meuse; from 1998, it has taken place in Seine-Maritime département, two circuits of 35 km around Dieppe.

The roll of honour includes cycling's greatest time trialists, but the event's history was dominated by two Frenchmen: Jacques Anquetil won nine times, Bernard Hinault five. [5]

British amateur woman Beryl Burton competed in 1968, finishing only minutes behind her male rivals.

Winners (professionals)

YearCountryRiderTeam
1932Flag of France.svg  France Maurice Archambaud
1933Flag of France.svg  France Raymond Louviot
1934Flag of France.svg  France Antonin Magne
1935Flag of France.svg  France Antonin Magne
1936Flag of France.svg  France Antonin Magne
1937Flag of France.svg  France Pierre Cogan
1938Flag of France.svg  France Louis Aimar
1941Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy Jules Rossi (victory shared with Louis Aimar )
1941Flag of France.svg  France Louis Aimar (victory shared with Jules Rossi )
1942Flag of France.svg  France Jean-Marie Goasmat (victory shared with Émile Idée )
1942Flag of France.svg  France Émile Idée (victory shared with Jean-Marie Goasmat )
1943Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Jozef Somers
1944Flag of France.svg  France Émile Carrara
1945Flag of France.svg  France Eloi Tassin
1946Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Fausto Coppi
1947Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Fausto Coppi
1948Flag of France.svg  France René Berton
1949Flag of France.svg  France Charles Coste
1950Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Maurice Blomme
1951Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Hugo Koblet
1952Flag of France.svg  France Louison Bobet Stella Huret Dunlop
1953Flag of France.svg  France Jacques Anquetil La Française–Dunlop
1954Flag of France.svg  France Jacques Anquetil La Perle–Hutchinson
1955Flag of France.svg  France Jacques Anquetil La Perle Hutchinson
1956Flag of France.svg  France Jacques Anquetil Helyett Potin
1957Flag of France.svg  France Jacques Anquetil Helyett Potin
1958Flag of France.svg  France Jacques Anquetil Helyett Potin
1959Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Aldo Moser EMI Guerra
1960Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Ercole Baldini Ignis
1961Flag of France.svg  France Jacques Anquetil Helyett Fynsec
1962Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Ferdinand Bracke Peugeot
1963Flag of France.svg  France Raymond Poulidor Mercier–BP
1964Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Walter Boucquet Flandria–Faema
1965Flag of France.svg  France Jacques Anquetil Ford–Gitane
1966Flag of France.svg  France Jacques Anquetil Ford-Hutchinson
1967Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Felice Gimondi Salvarani
1968Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Felice Gimondi Salvarani
1969Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Herman van Springel Mann–Grundig
1970Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Herman van Springel Mann–Grundig
1971Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg  Spain Luis Ocaña Bic
1972Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Roger Swerts Molteni
1973Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Eddy Merckx Molteni
1974Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Roy Schuiten TI–Raleigh
1975Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Roy Schuiten TI–Raleigh
1976Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Freddy Maertens Flandria Velda
1977Flag of France.svg  France Bernard Hinault Gitane–Campagnolo
1978Flag of France.svg  France Bernard Hinault Renault–Elf–Gitane
1979Flag of France.svg  France Bernard Hinault Renault–Elf–Gitane
1980Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke La Redoute–Motobécane
1981Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Daniel Gisiger Cilo–Aufina
1982Flag of France.svg  France Bernard Hinault Renault–Elf
1983Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Daniel Gisiger Malvor Bottecchia
1984Flag of France.svg  France Bernard Hinault La Vie Claire
1985Flag of France.svg  France Charly Mottet Renault–Elf–Gitane
1986Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland Sean Kelly Kas
1987Flag of France.svg  France Charly Mottet Système U–Gitane
1988Flag of France.svg  France Charly Mottet Système U–Gitane
1989Flag of France.svg  France Laurent Fignon Super U–Raleigh–Fiat
1990Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Thomas Wegmüller Weinn SMM
1991Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Tony Rominger Toshiba
1992Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Johan Bruyneel ONCE
1993Flag of France.svg  France Armand de Las Cuevas Banesto–Pinarello
1994Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Tony Rominger Mapei–CLAS
1995No race
1996Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Chris Boardman GAN
1997Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Uwe Peschel Cantina Tollo–Carrier–Starplast
1998Flag of France.svg  France Francisque Teyssier Mutuelle de Seine-et-Marne
1999Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine Serhiy Honchar Vini Caldirola
2000Result Void [6] [7]
2001Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Jens Voigt Crédit Agricole
2002Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Uwe Peschel Gerolsteiner
2003Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Michael Rich Gerolsteiner
2004Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Michael Rich Gerolsteiner

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References

  1. "Grand Prix des Nations". FirstCycling.com. 24 September 2023.
  2. "Verdwenen koersen: de GP des Nations" [Disappeared races: the GP des Nations]. sportgeschiedenis.nl (in Dutch). 8 August 2020.
  3. "Grand Prix des Nations(1.1)". ProcyclingStats. 24 September 2023.
  4. Kröner, Hedwig (ed.). "Latest Cycling News for October 11, 2005". autobus.cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  5. "Grand Prix des Nations (Fra) - Ex". Memoire-du-cyclisme.eu (in French). Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  6. "Lance Armstrong: Governing body strips American of Tour wins". BBC News. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  7. "Union Cycliste Internationale".[ permanent dead link ]