| Top 20th Century Major Classics #1
The Clash of Two Titans!
The 50th edition of Paris-Roubaix was held on Sunday, April 13, 1952.
This year’s P-R brought together the top stars of cycling on a sunny spring day. The Italian contingent, led by Campionissimo Fausto Coppi (1950 P-R champion), came north in search of another victory in the Queen of the Classics. The hopes of Belgium rested on the shoulders of a highly motivated classics specialist, Rik Van Steenbergen (1948 P-R champion). After a disastrous Tour of Flanders, a week earlier, Van Steenbergen needed a great effort to answer his critics.
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel)
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Fausto Coppi (Ita)
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Two Titans !
When the start’s flag dropped the pace took off at a very fast pace leaving St. Denis (a Paris suburb).
Race Status:
Over the early kms small groups led by Serge Meneghetti (Colomb) formed on the hill in Chantilly (32 km / 245 km). Six riders joined the breakaway.
Maurice Blomme (Berlin) crossed the top of the Doullens hill (180 km / 245 km), as his breakaway group was caught.
Through Arras (165 km / 245 km), the peloton regrouped again.
After a short lull in the action the contenders began to take control of the race in Courrieres (165 km / 245 km).
A strong 5 rider group formed with Fausto Coppi (Bianchi) driving the pace.
Significantly a poorly placed Rik Van Steenbergen (Mercier) failed to join the breakaway. Losing time and feeling the pressure of expectation, Van Steenbergen started his impossible chase.
The Belgian flew across the rough cobbled sections and began to close on Coppi. The harder the cobbles, the faster he rode.
Coppi's brutal pace thinned the breakaway group to three.
By Wattignies (225 km / 245 km), Van Steenbergen trailed by only 50 seconds.
Coppi’s breakaway group began to unravel as Ferdi Kubler (Frejus) cracked and Jacques Dupont (Dilecta) punctured on the cobbles at Lesquin.
Van Steenbergen flew past them and made the connection with Coppi. The two great champions began their epic battle with less than 20 km to the finish.
SPECIAL NOTE: years later Fausto Coppi bitterly revealed that his one regret was not riding harder at Wattignies (with 20 km to go) and holding the 50 second advantage over Van Steenbergen.
Coppi knew Van Steenbergen had the superior sprint and he needed to enter the velodrome alone to have a chance for victory. The Italian launched continuous attacks with no success. The opportunities were running out as the race exited the final major cobbled section at Hem.
There remained only one major difficulty before the “flat run-in” to the finish, the hill at Hem (239 km / 245 km), and Coppi attacked AGAIN! Suffering mightily to hold the pace, Van Steenbergen dug deep and drove himself to stay on Coppi's wheel.
They crossed the top together.
SPECIAL NOTE: After the race Van Steenbergen revealed, “If Coppi had attacked just one more time I would have cracked.”
Resigned to the outcome Coppi led into the packed velodrome. Van Steenbergen, tucked neatly behind the Italian for the final lap, drove hard off the final banked turn of the track and sprinted to the victory.
Rik Van Steenbergen (L) several lengths ahead of Fausto Coppi (R)
Paris-Roubaix is the most prestigious one-day classic and in 1952 the “Hell of the North” created a “Clash of the Titans” that will be recorded by history as the greatest 20th century classic of them all!!!!
SPECIAL NOTE: “The Clash”: Rarely in the history of cycling have two champions created such a show of extraordinary effort and an undying will to win. Paris-Roubaix has always been a trial of strength, experience and the will to overcome all obstacles. The 1952 clash of a fast Belgian sprinter and powerful Italian climber will go down in cycling history as the most memorable classic race of all times.
P-R April 13, 1952 |
245 Km, St. Denis (north of Paris) to Roubaix (Velodrome)
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1. Rik VAN STEENBERGEN (Bel) 5h50'31” |
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3. Andre Mahe (Fra) +11” |
Starters: 154 / Finishers: 95 Average Speed: 41.938 km/h |
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P-R 1951 P-R 1953
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