Bordeaux-Paris
Encyclopedia
The Bordeaux–Paris professional cycle race
was one of Europe's Classic cycle races
, and one of the longest in the professional calendar, covering approximately 560 km (348 mi) - more than twice most single-day races. It started in northern Bordeaux
in south-west France at 2am and finished in the capital Paris 14 hours later.
s. Pacing was also briefly by cars. In early events, pacing was provided from Bordeaux. In later events, it was introduced part-way towards Paris. From 1946 to 1985, more than half the distance was paced, Dernys being introduced at Poitiers
or Châtellerault
, roughly half-way.
The organisers of the inaugural event, Bordeaux Vélo Club and Véloce Sport
envisaged riders might take a few days, but the first edition was won in a continuous ride by George Pilkington Mills
. Mills raced through the night to win the 600 km long event in just over a day. Post-war winners include Louison Bobet
(1959) and Jacques Anquetil
(1965). The record for the most victories is held by Herman van Springel
who won seven times between 1970 and 1981.
because of his reputation in an age when long-distance racing was the fashion. A race from Bordeaux
in the south-west to the capital in Paris would be the longest annual event in France.
The race started at 5am in the Place du Pont Bastide in Bordeaux. There were 38 riders. As well as the British - Pilkington, Mills, Holbein, Edge and Bates - there were a Pole and a Swiss. Mills fell on bad roads after 10 km when he touched with the Frenchman, Jiel-Laval, but neither was hurt. The English group moved to the front when the field began to straggle after the first hour. They led by a mile at dawn after averaging 14 mph. The historian Victor M. Head write: "At 10.30 Angoulème
was reached and the Englishmen stopped to gulp down bowls of hot soup. When they restarted, Mills began to make all the running, drawing steadily away from his companions until, arriving at Ruffec, Charente
, he was half an hour in the lead."
The rapid departure surprised the organisers. A report said:
Mills reached Tours
after 215 miles and more than 12 hours on the road. He rested for five minutes, ate raw meat "and a specially prepared stimulant", and set off an hour ahead of the other British riders. "By now," said Head, "the Frenchmen were hopelessly out of the running." He wrote:
The Bicycle Union - later renamed the National Cyclists Union - had strict views about amateurism and had demanded its French equivalent ensure that all taking part met its own amateur ideals. Only then would the NCU allow Mills and other British amateurs to take part.
When Mills won, the Bicycle Union realised he was the works manager at a bicycle factory and decided he should be asked "whether he paid the whole of his expenses in the above-mentioned race." Only when he could prove that he had did the Bicycle Union concede that he was not a professional.
or Giro d'Italia
stage races. Fields began to dwindle and the last motor-paced version was 1985; three non-paced versions were held from 1986 but 1988 proved the last as a professional race.
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
was one of Europe's Classic cycle races
Classic cycle races
The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...
, and one of the longest in the professional calendar, covering approximately 560 km (348 mi) - more than twice most single-day races. It started in northern Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
in south-west France at 2am and finished in the capital Paris 14 hours later.
History
The event was first run on 23 May 1891, and the Derby of the Road as it was sometimes called, was notable in that riders were paced - allowed to slipstream - behind tandem or conventional cycles. From 1931, pacing was by motorcycles or small pedal-assisted DernyDerny
A Derny is a motorized bicycle for motor-paced cycling events such as during six-day and Keirin racing, or motor-paced road races. It is driven by a 98cc Zurcher two-stroke engine and by being pedalled through a fixed gear, typically of 70 teeth on the front chainring and 11 on the sprocket on the...
s. Pacing was also briefly by cars. In early events, pacing was provided from Bordeaux. In later events, it was introduced part-way towards Paris. From 1946 to 1985, more than half the distance was paced, Dernys being introduced at Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
or Châtellerault
Châtellerault
Châtellerault is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in France.It is located to the north of Poitou, and the residents are called Châtelleraudais.-Geography:...
, roughly half-way.
The organisers of the inaugural event, Bordeaux Vélo Club and Véloce Sport
Véloce Sport
Véloce Sport was a leading French cycling periodical that was founded in Bordeaux in 1885. It was the organiser and publicist of the first running of the Bordeaux–Paris cycle race in 1891.-Bourdeaux-Paris:...
envisaged riders might take a few days, but the first edition was won in a continuous ride by George Pilkington Mills
George Pilkington Mills
George Pilkington Mills was the dominant English racing cyclist of his generation, and winner of the inaugural Bordeaux–Paris cycle race. He frequently cycled from Land's End to John o' Groats, holding the world record time on six occasions between 1886 and 1895. He was a member of the Anfield and...
. Mills raced through the night to win the 600 km long event in just over a day. Post-war winners include Louison Bobet
Louison Bobet
Louis 'Louison' Bobet was a French professional road racing cyclist. He was the first great French rider of the post-war period and the first rider to win the Tour de France in three successive years, from 1953 to 1955...
(1959) and Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964...
(1965). The record for the most victories is held by Herman van Springel
Herman Van Springel
Herman van Springel is a Belgian former road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region.He was an accomplished time-trial rider, almost winning the Tour de France in 1968, when he was beaten in the last stage by Dutchman, Jan Janssen in a time-trial...
who won seven times between 1970 and 1981.
The first race
George Mills won the inaugural Bordeaux–Paris race in 1891. He was invited by the organisers, the newspaper Véloce SportVéloce Sport
Véloce Sport was a leading French cycling periodical that was founded in Bordeaux in 1885. It was the organiser and publicist of the first running of the Bordeaux–Paris cycle race in 1891.-Bourdeaux-Paris:...
because of his reputation in an age when long-distance racing was the fashion. A race from Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
in the south-west to the capital in Paris would be the longest annual event in France.
The race started at 5am in the Place du Pont Bastide in Bordeaux. There were 38 riders. As well as the British - Pilkington, Mills, Holbein, Edge and Bates - there were a Pole and a Swiss. Mills fell on bad roads after 10 km when he touched with the Frenchman, Jiel-Laval, but neither was hurt. The English group moved to the front when the field began to straggle after the first hour. They led by a mile at dawn after averaging 14 mph. The historian Victor M. Head write: "At 10.30 Angoulème
Angoulême
-Main sights:In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the hôtel de ville, the...
was reached and the Englishmen stopped to gulp down bowls of hot soup. When they restarted, Mills began to make all the running, drawing steadily away from his companions until, arriving at Ruffec, Charente
Ruffec, Charente
Ruffec is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.-Population:...
, he was half an hour in the lead."
The rapid departure surprised the organisers. A report said:
- Everything had been prepared to receive the riders properly [recevoir dignement]: full meals, baths, hot showers, nothing was forgotten, and there were good beds to welcome our heroes, because there was no doubt among the excellent people of Angoulème that it was impossible to ride 127km on a bicycle without immediately needing several hours' rest. To the great stupefaction of the spectators, not one of the riders took advantage of what had been provided. The eventual winner, G.P. Mills, stopped for several moments at best. He had a plan: he let Holbein eat peacefully at the control because he knew that a real champion, Lewis Stroud, was waiting to show him the way out of town and that, with him as a precious, fast and durable pacer he could build up the lead he needed to win the race.
Mills reached Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
after 215 miles and more than 12 hours on the road. He rested for five minutes, ate raw meat "and a specially prepared stimulant", and set off an hour ahead of the other British riders. "By now," said Head, "the Frenchmen were hopelessly out of the running." He wrote:
- Although the judges, the officials, and the large crowd had been waiting impatiently for three hours before the winner's weary, mud-caked figure was seen coming along the boulevard de la Porte Maillot, his reception was "wildly enthusiastic", as one writer put it, and he was escorted in triumph to his hotel. The time of 26h 36m 25m was truly remarkable when one considers the appalling road conditions, poor weather, and the delays, and all the other hardships encountered. The British victory was complete Monty Holbein (27h 52m 15s) came in second, with Edge, nearly three hours away, third, and Bates fourth.
The Bicycle Union - later renamed the National Cyclists Union - had strict views about amateurism and had demanded its French equivalent ensure that all taking part met its own amateur ideals. Only then would the NCU allow Mills and other British amateurs to take part.
When Mills won, the Bicycle Union realised he was the works manager at a bicycle factory and decided he should be asked "whether he paid the whole of his expenses in the above-mentioned race." Only when he could prove that he had did the Bicycle Union concede that he was not a professional.
Last races
Bordeaux–Paris began to lose prestige in the 1980s. It required special training and clashed with riders' plans to compete in the Vuelta a EspañaVuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
or Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
stage races. Fields began to dwindle and the last motor-paced version was 1985; three non-paced versions were held from 1986 but 1988 proved the last as a professional race.
Winners
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Wim van Est Willem van Est was a Dutch racing cyclist.He is best known for being the first Dutch cyclist to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France of 1951, and for falling into a ravine while wearing it.-Biography:... Bernard Gauthier Bernard Gauthier is a retired French road racing cyclist, who was professional from 1947 to 1961. He won Bordeaux–Paris four times.-Major victories:1947... Wim van Est Willem van Est was a Dutch racing cyclist.He is best known for being the first Dutch cyclist to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France of 1951, and for falling into a ravine while wearing it.-Biography:... Bernard Gauthier Bernard Gauthier is a retired French road racing cyclist, who was professional from 1947 to 1961. He won Bordeaux–Paris four times.-Major victories:1947... Bernard Gauthier Bernard Gauthier is a retired French road racing cyclist, who was professional from 1947 to 1961. He won Bordeaux–Paris four times.-Major victories:1947... Bernard Gauthier Bernard Gauthier is a retired French road racing cyclist, who was professional from 1947 to 1961. He won Bordeaux–Paris four times.-Major victories:1947... Louison Bobet Louis 'Louison' Bobet was a French professional road racing cyclist. He was the first great French rider of the post-war period and the first rider to win the Tour de France in three successive years, from 1953 to 1955... Marcel Janssens Marcel Janssens was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. Janssens won two stages in the Tour de France, and finished 2nd place in 1957 after Jacques Anquetil... Wim van Est Willem van Est was a Dutch racing cyclist.He is best known for being the first Dutch cyclist to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France of 1951, and for falling into a ravine while wearing it.-Biography:... Jo de Roo Johan De Roo is a Dutch former professional road racing cyclist between 1958 and 1968. During 11 seasons as a professional he had six victories in single-day classics, three stages of the Tour de France and one stage of the Vuelta a España. He had 46 wins as a professional... Tom Simpson Tom Simpson was the most successful English road racing cyclist of the post-war years. He infamously died of exhaustion on the slopes of Mont Ventoux during the 13th stage of the Tour de France in 1967... Jacques Anquetil Jacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964... Walter Godefroot Walter Godefroot is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer and former directeur sportif of , later known as T-Mobile Team, professional team.... Herman Van Springel Herman van Springel is a Belgian former road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region.He was an accomplished time-trial rider, almost winning the Tour de France in 1968, when he was beaten in the last stage by Dutchman, Jan Janssen in a time-trial... Herman Van Springel Herman van Springel is a Belgian former road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region.He was an accomplished time-trial rider, almost winning the Tour de France in 1968, when he was beaten in the last stage by Dutchman, Jan Janssen in a time-trial... and Régis Delepine Régis Delépine Régis Delépine was a French professional road bicycle racer. In the 1974 edition of Bordeaux–Paris, he was ranked first together with Herman Van Springel, after Van Springel went the wrong way in the final.- Palmarès :... Herman Van Springel Herman van Springel is a Belgian former road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region.He was an accomplished time-trial rider, almost winning the Tour de France in 1968, when he was beaten in the last stage by Dutchman, Jan Janssen in a time-trial... Walter Godefroot Walter Godefroot is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer and former directeur sportif of , later known as T-Mobile Team, professional team.... Herman Van Springel Herman van Springel is a Belgian former road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region.He was an accomplished time-trial rider, almost winning the Tour de France in 1968, when he was beaten in the last stage by Dutchman, Jan Janssen in a time-trial... Herman Van Springel Herman van Springel is a Belgian former road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region.He was an accomplished time-trial rider, almost winning the Tour de France in 1968, when he was beaten in the last stage by Dutchman, Jan Janssen in a time-trial... André Chalmel André Chalmel is a French former road racing cyclist, born in Saint-Malo . He was, during a few years, one of Bernard Hinault's team-mates on the Renault-Elf-Gitane professional cycling team. He is a former winner of Bordeaux–Paris... Herman Van Springel Herman van Springel is a Belgian former road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region.He was an accomplished time-trial rider, almost winning the Tour de France in 1968, when he was beaten in the last stage by Dutchman, Jan Janssen in a time-trial... Herman Van Springel Herman van Springel is a Belgian former road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region.He was an accomplished time-trial rider, almost winning the Tour de France in 1968, when he was beaten in the last stage by Dutchman, Jan Janssen in a time-trial... Marcel Tinazzi Marcel Tinazzi is a former French professional road bicycle racer of Italian parents. He was the cousin of an Italian professional cyclist Giorgio Tinazzi. He was a professional cyclist from 1977 until 1986... Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle is a former French professional road racing cyclist who was a specialist at one-day classic cycling races... René Martens René Martens was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer.- Palmarès :1976... Gilbert Glaus Gilbert Glaus was a Swiss professional road bicycle racer. In 1983, Glaus won a stage in the 1983 Tour de France, but in the 1984 Tour de France he was the Lanterne rouge .- Palmarès :... Bernard Vallet Bernard Vallet is a French former road bicycle racer who won the Polka dot jersey in the 1982 Tour de France.- Palmarès :1968197719791980... |
