Grand Prix of Nations

The race was the idea of ​​the editor of the largest Paris pre-war evening newspaper Paris-Soir, Gaston Benak. He was looking for a race that would make the newspaper famous.

Together with his colleague Albert Baker, d'Isi Benak was impressed by the 1931 World Cup , which was held in Copenhagen and for the first time in history was held in the form of an individual separate time trial, rather than a traditional group race. Impressed by what he saw, and also taking into account that the organization of cutting cost less, Benac and Baker d'Isi launched the race next year, which Baker decided to call the Grand Prix of Nations.

The race quickly gained great fame thanks to the successes of the Frenchman Antonin Magnier (1934-1936), and then Fausto Coppi (1946, 1947). But first of all, the Grand Prix of Nations is associated with the name of Jacques Anketil , who achieved an unsurpassed result on the roads of the Chevreuse Valley: nine victories in nine starts. His compatriot Bernard Ino also entered his name in the history of the competition, having won five victories.

It is not known who invented the first one-day route. American-French writer Rene de Latour in the British Sporting Cyclist magazine stated that it was him; Baker d'Isie said the same thing. The route began near the Castle of Versailles and went along the triangle through Rambouillet , Molette , Saint-Remy-le-Chevreuse , Versailles and Boulogne to the finish line at the Buffalo Velodrome , where the founder of the Tour de France , Henri Degrange , set the first hourly record of the ride in 1893. The route included three hills, many cobblestones, and the last 40 km passed through the forests of the Chevreuse Valley - a popular area for cyclists. The distance was 142 kilometers. Since 1961, the length of the route has been reduced to about 100 kilometers. In the latest issues, victory in the race was played out at about 70 kilometers.

During World War II , from 1939 to 1940, the race was not held, and in 1941 and 1942 took place twice: in the free and occupied zones of the country.

From 1991 to 1993, it was the final race of the UCI World Road Cup, held in this period in three different countries. In 1991 she passed in Italian Bergamo , while being also part of the Italian race Tropho Baracca , in 1992 - in the Spanish Palma de Mallorca , and in 1993 - in the French Meuse ( Lorraine ).

In 2000, Lance Armstrong won the race with a record average speed of 49.404 km / h for the Grand Prix of Nations, but in 2012 all of his results, including this one, were officially canceled by the International Cycling Union . ^[one]

The introduction of the individual race with a separate start at the World Championships in 1994, as well as at the Olympic Games in 1996, significantly reduced the importance of the Grand Prix of Nations. The title of the best splitter of the world was already determined by these starts. On the eve of the launch of the UCI ProTour in 2005, the race ceased to exist. In 2006, the Chrono de Erbier cycling race, held in a similar format, was renamed the Chrono of the Nations .

• In 1941 and 1942, the race was held twice: in the territory of free France and occupied by Germany.
• In 2000, American Lance Armstrong won, but in 2012 he was disqualified by the UCI for doping , starting on August 1, 1998, and all of his results, starting from this date, were canceled. Redistribution of places was not made. ^[one]

Individually

By country

• Nations Grand Prix at FirstCycling