Critérium des As
Encyclopedia
The Critérium des As was a cycle race that was generally held at the end of the season, with entry by invitation only, for the leading riders of the season. Competitors rode behind pacers on tandems or motorcycles. It was held from 1921 until 1990, mostly in Paris, France
but also in Switzerland
and Holland. The last Critérium des As was held in 1990 and was replaced by the Roue d'Or des As the following year.
of Belgium, in 56 hours and 48 minutes.
In 1921 the best riders of the season were invited to enter the Critérium des As, 27 laps of a 3.63 km circuit around Longchamp. They rode alone except for pacers who helped on occasional laps, not being fast enough to last longer.
Crowds of up to 6,000 watched in the years before the World War II
. The individual pacers were replaced by tandems, triplets, motorcycles and finally specialist Derny
lightweight motorcycles in 1947. René de Latour
, a journalist who organised the race in 1943, when the inside of the circuit included flak guns to defend the Renault
factory in Billancourt
, said:
The most prolific winner was Rik van Steenbergen
of Belgium
, with five wins.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
but also in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Holland. The last Critérium des As was held in 1990 and was replaced by the Roue d'Or des As the following year.
History
In 1920 the Critérium de la résistance was run from Bordeaux to Paris (Longchamp) and back to Bordeaux, and is regarded as the forerunner of Critérium des As. The 1208 kilometres (750.6 mi) paced event was won by Louis MottiatLouis Mottiat
Louis Mottiat was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. Because of his endurance he was nicknamed 'the iron man'. His career was interrupted by World War I.- Palmarès :19101911191219131914...
of Belgium, in 56 hours and 48 minutes.
In 1921 the best riders of the season were invited to enter the Critérium des As, 27 laps of a 3.63 km circuit around Longchamp. They rode alone except for pacers who helped on occasional laps, not being fast enough to last longer.
Crowds of up to 6,000 watched in the years before the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The individual pacers were replaced by tandems, triplets, motorcycles and finally specialist Derny
Derny
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...
lightweight motorcycles in 1947. René de Latour
René de Latour
René de Latour was a Franco-American sports journalist, race director of the Tour de l'Avenir cycle race, and correspondent of the British magazine, Sporting Cyclist, to which he contributed to 120 of the 131 issues.-Background:René de Latour was born in 42nd Street, New York...
, a journalist who organised the race in 1943, when the inside of the circuit included flak guns to defend the Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
factory in Billancourt
Billancourt
Billancourt is a commune in the Somme department in northern France....
, said:
The most prolific winner was Rik van Steenbergen
Rik Van Steenbergen
Rik Van Steenbergen was a Belgian racing cyclist, considered to be one of the best among the great number of successful Belgian cyclists.-Early life:...
of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, with five wins.
Winners
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Hugo Koblet Hugo Koblet was a Swiss champion cyclist. He won the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia as well as competing in six-day and pursuit races on the track. He won 70 races as a professional... 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... 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... Rik Van Looy Henri van Looy is a Belgian former professional cyclist of the post-war period, nicknamed the King of the Classics or Emperor of Herentals... Rudi Altig Rudi Altig is a former professional track and road racing cyclist who won the 1962 Vuelta a España and the world championship in 1966. He is now a television commentator.-Amateur career:... Peter Post Peter Post was a Dutch professional cyclist whose career lasted from 1956 to 1972. Post competed in road and track racing. As a rider he is best remembered for Six-day racing, having competed in 155 races and won 65. Because of this success he was known as “De Keizer van de Zesdaagse” or “The... Gerben Karstens Gerben Karstens is a former professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who won the gold medal in the 100 km team trial at the 1964 Summer Olympics, alongside Bart Zoet, Evert Dolman, and Jan Pieterse... Eddy Merckx Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all... Felice Gimondi Felice Gimondi is an Italian former professional racing cyclist.With his 1968 victory at the Vuelta a España, only three years after becoming a professional cyclist, Gimondi, nicknamed "The Phoenix", was the second cyclist to win all three Grand Tours of road cycling: Tour de France , Giro... 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.... |
Raymond Poulidor Raymond Poulidor , is a former professional bicycle racer. He was known as the eternal second, because he finished the Tour de France in second place three times, and in third place five times, including his final Tour at the age of 40... Gerben Karstens Gerben Karstens is a former professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who won the gold medal in the 100 km team trial at the 1964 Summer Olympics, alongside Bart Zoet, Evert Dolman, and Jan Pieterse... Roger De Vlaeminck Roger De Vlaeminck is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist. He was described by Rik Van Looy as '"The most talented and the only real classics rider of his generation"... Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :... Francesco Moser Francesco Moser , nicknamed "Lo sceriffo" , is an Italian former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the dominant riders from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, and won the 1984 Giro d'Italia, the 1977 world road racing championship and six victories in three of the five Monuments... Michel Laurent Michel Laurent is a French former professional road racing cyclist.- Palmarès :19751976Michel Laurent is a French former professional road racing cyclist.... Joop Zoetemelk Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second... Daniel Willems Daniel Willems is a Belgian former road bicycle racer. Health problems ended his career in 1986.- Palmarès :19761977Daniel Willems is a Belgian former road bicycle racer... Bernard Hinault Bernard Hinault is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985... Greg LeMond Gregory James LeMond is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States and a three-time winner of the Tour de France. He was born in Lakewood, California and raised in Reno, Nevada.... Seán Kelly (cyclist) John James 'Sean' Kelly is an Irish former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, and one of the finest classics riders of all time. From turning professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won nine monument classics, and 193... Charly Mottet Charly Mottet is a French former professional cyclist .He was one of the best French road cyclists of his era, Mottet won a total of 67 races, including the Tour de Romandie in 1990, and has 8 participations in the Tour de France. His best results in the Tour de France were the 4th positions in... Claude Criquielion Claude Criquielion is a former Belgian professional road bicycle racer who raced between 1979 and 1990. In 1984, Criquielion became the world road race champion in Barcelona, Spain on a gruelling course. He had five top-ten finishes in the Tour de France.Criquielion was well placed to win a medal... Laurent Fignon Laurent Patrick Fignon was a French professional road bicycle racer. He won the Tour de France in 1983 and in 1984. He missed winning it a third time, in 1989, by 8 seconds, the closest margin ever to decide the tour. He also won the Giro d'Italia in 1989, after having been the runner-up in 1984,... |
Venues
The race was held at:
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Nogaro Nogaro is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*... Belfort Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-... Valkenburg aan de Geul Valkenburg aan de Geul is a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands.-History:Siege and conquest were characteristic of the history of Valkenburg. Each event is withheld, followed by subsequent restorations. This most definitely holds for the castle perched atop of a hill in the middle of the... , Holland Châteaulin Châteaulin is a commune in the Finistère department in the region of Brittany in north-western France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:... Orchies -References:* -External links:*... |
La Défense La Défense is a major business district of the Paris aire urbaine. With a population of 20,000, it is centered in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux... Geneva Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland... , Switzerland Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis Montreuil is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is the third most populous suburb of Paris... |