| IL CAMPIONISSIMO was Sublime!!!
The 48th edition of Paris-Roubaix was held on Sunday, April 9, 1950.
All eyes were on Italian Fausto Coppi (Bianchi). The previous year's race was remembered for the controversial finish (a technical tie between Serse Coppi and Andre Mahe) and Fausto's role in the affair was soundly criticized in the French press. Coppi came here to prove a point.
Torrential rain greeted the riders as the starter's flag dropped in St. Denis.
Race Status:
The “Campionissimo” punished the peloton approaching the hill at Doullens (150 km / 247 km).
The battle heated up on the Doullens hill. Jacques Moujica (Mercier) lit up the race. Coppi chased him, jumped past him and crossed the top first.
The lead group began to split under Coppi’s pressure. Riding through the feed zone in Arras (197 km / 247 km), Gino Sciardis (Mercier), and Frenchman Maurice Diot (Mercier) broke away. Coppi made the bridge to the breakaway after a 5 km chase.
Pushing a hard pace Coppi dropped Sciardis from the group.
Strategically, Diot's Mercier team manager, Antoine Magne, ordered him to stop working with Coppi. The angry Italian accelerated into a strong headwind with 45 km to go and dropped Diot.
Driving a fast pace through Wattignies (225 km / 247 km), the Italian held a 2’00” lead on Diot, and 5’00” on Fiorenzo Magni (Wilier).
Behind the leader an elite group formed and continued the chase... but Coppi was gone.
Fausto Coppi crossed the velodrome finish line to claim his first Paris-Roubaix victory.
Legendary French journalist Pierre Chany eloquently wrote in L’Équipe the following day:
"For 20 years I have watched the greatest champions break themselves here like ships on a reef. I have seen riders with the most graceful pedaling action reduced to mere tool grinding... but yesterday against elite roadmen of his era... Fausto was sublime."
Runner-up Maurice Diot made a statement that would go down in history: "I won Roubaix. Coppi was supernatural."
P-R April 4, 1950 |
247 Km, St. Denis (north of Paris) to Roubaix (Velodrome)
|
1.
Fausto COPPI (Ita) 6h18'48” |
2.
Maurice Diot (Fra) +2'41” |
3.
Fiorenzo Magni (Ita) +5'24” |
Starters: 227 / Finishers: 76 Average Speed: 39.123 km/h |
|
P-R 1949 P-R 1951
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