The Critérium des As (Race of the Aces) 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.[1] The last Critérium des As was held in 1990 and was replaced by the Roue d'Or des As the following year.[1][2]

Critérium des As
Race details
English nameRace of the Aces
DisciplineRoad
History
First edition1921 (1921)
Editions61
Final edition1990
First winnerBelgium Philippe Thys
Most winsBelgium Rik Van Steenbergen (5 wins)
Final winnerFrance Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle

History

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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 1,208 kilometres (751 mi) paced event was won by Louis Mottiat of Belgium, in 56 hours and 48 minutes.[2]

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.[2][3]

Crowds of up to 6,000 watched in the years before the World War II.[3] 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 Boulogne-Billancourt, said:

The tandems gave more shelter and the race became more and more spectacular. Each of the selected riders had four or five tandems at his disposal, and it was a lovely sight to see the relieving tandem taking over from the 'double' that had just completed its allotted spell. If you talk to the older bike fans, they will tell you regretfully that racing was really beautiful to watch in the days of tandem-pacing and that nothing had ever really replaced them. I must say that I think that way, too." René de Latour[3]

The most prolific winner was Rik Van Steenbergen of Belgium, with five wins.[4]

Winners

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Year Location Winner Second Third
1921 Longchamp   Philippe Thys   René Vermandel   Henri Pélissier
1922 Longchamp   René Vermandel   Jean Alavoine   Romain Bellenger
1923 Longchamp   Jules Van Hevel   Romain Bellenger   Maurice Brocco
1924 Longchamp   Jules Van Hevel   Heiri Suter   Henri Pélissier
1925 Longchamp   Achille Souchard   Hector Martin   Romain Bellenger
1926 Longchamp   Henri Pélissier   Gabriel Marcillac   Charles Lacquehay
1927 Longchamp   Gabriel Marcillac   Henri Pélissier   Hector Martin
1928 Longchamp   Charles Lacquehay   Gérard Debaets   Lucien Choury
1929 Longchamp   Georges Wambst   Armand Blanchonnet   Charles Lacquehay
1930 Longchamp   Camille Foucaux   Henri Lemoine   André Mouton
1931 Longchamp   Jean Maréchal   Henri Lemoine   Georges Wambst
1932 Longchamp   Ernest Terreau   Georges Wambst   Jean Maréchal
1933 Longchamp   Charles Pélissier   Romain Gijssels   Ernest Terreau
1934 Longchamp   André Leducq   Charles Pélissier   Julien Moineau
1935 Longchamp   Ernest Terreau   Edgard De Caluwé   Romain Gijssels
1936 Longchamp   Ernest Terreau   René Debenne   Maurice Richard
1937 Longchamp   Georges Paillard   Paul Chocque   Victor Cosson
1938 Longchamp   Gerrit Schulte   René Debenne   Cesare Moretti Jr.
1939-1942 No race
1943 Longchamp   Raoul Lesueur   Joseph Somers   Maurice Clautier
1944-1946 No race
1947 Longchamp   Émile Carrara   Émile Idée   Lucien Teisseire
1948 Longchamp   Rik Van Steenbergen   Apo Lazaridès   Louis Caput
1949 Longchamp   Louison Bobet   Fausto Coppi   Wim van Est
1950 Longchamp   Louison Bobet   Stan Ockers   Robert Varnajo
1951 Longchamp   Hugo Koblet   Rik Van Steenbergen   Louison Bobet
1952 Longchamp   Rik Van Steenbergen   Louison Bobet   André Darrigade
1953 Longchamp   Louison Bobet   Stan Ockers   Ferdi Kübler
1954 Longchamp   Louison Bobet   Jacques Anquetil   Ferdi Kübler
1955 Longchamp   Rik Van Steenbergen   Miguel Poblet   Stan Ockers
1956 Longchamp   Bernard Gauthier   Rik Van Steenbergen   Roger Rivière
1957 Longchamp   Rik Van Steenbergen   André Darrigade   Louison Bobet
1958 Longchamp   Rik Van Steenbergen   André Darrigade   Raphaël Géminiani
1959 Longchamp   Jacques Anquetil   Rik Van Steenbergen   Jean Bobet
1960 Longchamp   Jacques Anquetil   André Darrigade   Rik Van Looy
1961 Longchamp   Rik Van Looy   Rik Van Steenbergen   André Darrigade
1962 Longchamp   Rudi Altig   Rik Van Steenbergen   André Darrigade
1963 Longchamp   Jacques Anquetil   Tom Simpson   Rik Van Looy
1964 Longchamp   Peter Post   Edward Sels   Jacques Anquetil
1965 Longchamp   Jacques Anquetil   Jan Janssen   Rudi Altig
1966 Longchamp   Gerben Karstens   Felice Gimondi   Raymond Poulidor
1967 Lac Daumesnil   Eddy Merckx   Jacques Anquetil   Felice Gimondi
1968 Le Havre   Felice Gimondi   Raymond Poulidor   Ole Ritter
1969 Le Havre   Walter Godefroot   Raymond Delisle   Julien Stevens
1970 Lac Daumesnil   Eddy Merckx   Herman Van Springel   Lucien Aimar
1971 No race
1972 Felletin   Raymond Poulidor   Bernard Thévenet   Walter Godefroot
1973 Tilburg, NL   Gerben Karstens   Felice Gimondi   Eddy Merckx
1974 Nogaro   Eddy Merckx   Freddy Maertens   Gerben Karstens
1975 Belfort   Roger De Vlaeminck   Herman Van Springel   Freddy Maertens
1976 Valkenburg, NL   Freddy Maertens   Eddy Merckx   Gerben Karstens
1977 Châteaulin   Francesco Moser   Herman Van Springel   Ronald De Witte
1978 Orchies   Michel Laurent   Jan Raas   Herman Van Springel
1979 La Défense   Joop Zoetemelk   Daniel Willems   Bernard Hinault
1980 La Défense   Joop Zoetemelk   Herman Van Springel   Patrick Hosotte
1981 La Défense   Daniel Willems   Herman Van Springel   Stephen Roche
1982 La Défense   Bernard Hinault   Sean Kelly   Alain Bondue
1983 Genève, Sui   Greg LeMond   Pascal Poisson   Sean Kelly
1984 Montreuil-sous-Bois   Sean Kelly   Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke   Claude Criquielion
1985 Montreuil-sous-Bois   Sean Kelly   Eric Vanderaerden   Claude Criquielion
1986 Montreuil-sous-Bois   Sean Kelly   Adrie van der Poel   Acácio da Silva
1987 Montreuil-sous-Bois   Charly Mottet   Eric Vanderaerden   Sean Kelly
1988 Montreuil-sous-Bois   Claude Criquielion   Sean Kelly   Pascal Poisson
1989 Port Leucate   Laurent Fignon   Sean Kelly   Éric Caritoux
1990 Lac Daumesnil   Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle   Charly Mottet   Laurent Fignon

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b Memoire du Cyclisme, Results Archived June 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b c Velo Archive - Critérium des As
  3. ^ a b c Sporting Cyclist, UK, undated cutting
  4. ^ James, Tom (2003), "Critérium des As", VeloArchive, Slough: veloarchive.com