Critérium International

The Critérium International was a two-day bicycle stage race held in France every spring from 1932 until 2016, typically the last weekend of March. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in 1932. For many years it was considered a sort of French national championship and was finally opened to non–French cyclists in 1979. Bernard Hinault is the only cyclist to win the race in both its forms. The race has been won by some of the most famous names in cycling, including Jacques Anquetil, Sean Kelly, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Induráin, Stephen Roche, Joop Zoetemelk, Laurent Fignon, Jens Voigt, Cadel Evans and Chris Froome.

Critérium International
Race details
DateLate March
RegionArdennes, France (till 2009)
Corsica, France (2010–2016)
English nameInternational Criterium
Local name(s)Critérium International (in French)
DisciplineRoad
CompetitionUCI Europe Tour
TypeStage race
OrganiserAmaury Sport Organisation
Web sitewww.letour.fr/indexCRI_us.html
History
First edition1932 (1932)
Editions85 (as of 2016)
Final edition2016
First winner Léon Le Calvez (FRA)
Most wins Émile Idée (FRA)
 Raymond Poulidor (FRA)
 Jens Voigt (GER)
5 wins
Final winner Thibaut Pinot (FRA)

History and route

The Critérium International is one of the few races in cycling, apart from the three Grand Tours, with no fixed attachment to a region. Upon its creation in 1932, it was held as a one-day race in the Vallée de Chevreuse, finishing in the Parc des Princes velodrome in Paris. From 1941 to 1943, two races were organized each year: one in Nazi-occupied France and one in the free French State. As of 1959, the race location changed every year. The edition of 1960 took place in Oran in French Algeria. From 1963 to 1966 the Critérium was held as a stage race for the first time, and again ever since 1978.

From 2001 to 2009 the race was organized in the Ardennes with all stages starting and finishing in or around Charleville-Mézières.[1] In 2010 the race moved to the island of Corsica, around the coastal city of Porto-Vecchio. In 2014 the ASO agreed a deal to extend the race's stay until at least 2016.[2] Because of its challenging route and usually mild weather conditions in early spring, the Critérium International is often contended by many general classification riders in their build-up towards the Grand Tours, notably the Tour de France.

November 18, 2016 the ASO announced that it will no longer organise the two-day event and race will not be held in 2017, ending its 85-year run.[3]

1997 horse incident

In 1997, a horse jumped over a fence and joined the peloton, eventually passing it, leaving the race only 20 km from the finish line.[4] This scene was shown briefly in the movie Amélie, and is often mistaken for a scene from a Tour de France race.

Winners

Year Winner Second Third
Critérium National de la Route
1932 France Léon Le Calvez France Pierre Magne France Maurice Archambaud
1933 France André Leducq France Georges Speicher France Jean Bidot
1934 France Roger Lapébie France Jules Merviel France René Le Grevès
1935 France René Le Grevès France René Vietto France Antonin Magne
1936 France Paul Chocque France Fernand Mithouard France Arthur Debruyckere
1937 France Roger Lapébie and
France René Le Grevès
France Pierre Cloarec
1938 France Pierre Jaminet France Pierre Cloarec France Sauveur Ducazeaux
1939 France André Deforge France Marcel Laurent France Pierre Jaminet
1940 France Émile Idée France André Desmoulins France André Deforge
1941[5] France Yvan Marie France André Desmoulins France Albert Goutal
1941[6] France Benoît Faure France Pierre Cogan France Aldo Bertocco
1942[5] France Émile Idée France Raymond Louviot France Raymond Guégan
1942[6] France Aldo Bertocco France Joseph Soffietti France Marcel Laurent
1943[5] France Émile Idée France Georges Blum France Raymond Guégan
1943[6] France Louis Gauthier France Émile Rol France André Deforge
1944 France Roger Piel France Louis Thiétard France Aimable Denhez
1945 France Jo Goutorbe France Manuel Huguet France Émile Idée
1946 France Kleber Piot and
France Camille Danguillaume
France Lucien Boda
1947 France Émile Idée France Emile Carrara France Urbain Caffi
1948 France Camille Danguillaume France Émile Idée France Victor Pernac
1949 France Émile Idée France Raymond Lucas France Antonin Rolland
1950 France Pierre Barbotin France Guy Lapebie France Louis Déprez
1951 France Louison Bobet France Pierre Barbotin France Robert Desbats
1952 France Louison Bobet France Robert Varnajo France Bernard Gauthier
1953 France Robert Desbats France Jacques Dupont France Gilbert Loof
1954 France Roger Hassenforder France Raoul Rémy France Bernard Gauthier
1955 France René Privat France Pierre Molineris France Bernard Gauthier
1956 France Roger Hassenforder France Louis Caput France Jean Forestier
1957 France Jean Forestier France Louison Bobet France Serge Blusson
1958 France Roger Hassenforder France Raphaël Géminiani France Claude Colette
1959 France André Darrigade France Fernand Picot France Jean Graczyk
1960 France Jean Graczyk France Claude Colette France Jacques Anquetil
1961 France Jacques Anquetil France André Darrigade France Jean Gainche
1962 France Joseph Groussard France Jean-Claude Annaert France Anatole Novak
1963 France Jacques Anquetil France Raymond Poulidor France Joseph Velly
1964 France Raymond Poulidor France Edouard Delberghe France Joseph Novales
1965 France Jacques Anquetil France Raymond Poulidor France Jean-Claude Annaert
1966 France Raymond Poulidor France Roger Pingeon France Jean-Claude Lebaube
1967 France Jacques Anquetil France Raymond Poulidor France Raymond Delisle
1968 France Raymond Poulidor France Jean Jourden France Roger Pingeon
1969 France Gilbert Bellone France Raymond Delisle France Georges Chappe
1970 France Georges Chappe France Lucien Aimar France Roland Berland
1971 France Raymond Poulidor France Gilbert Bellone France Daniel Ducreux
1972 France Raymond Poulidor France Alain Santy France Jean-Luc Molinéris
1973 France Jean-Pierre Danguillaume France Alain Santy France André Mollet
1974 France Bernard Thévenet France Christian Raymond France Raymond Delisle
1975 France Jacques Esclassan France André Corbeau France Jean Chassang
1976 France Patrick Béon France Yves Hézard France Raymond Martin
1977 France Jean Chassang France Raymond Delisle France Roland Berland
1978 France Bernard Hinault France Michel Laurent France Yves Hézard
Critérium International
1979 Netherlands Joop Zoetemelk France Bernard Hinault Sweden Sven-Åke Nilsson
1980 France Michel Laurent France Jean-René Bernaudeau France Régis Ovion
1981 France Bernard Hinault France Jacques Bossis France Régis Clère
1982 France Laurent Fignon France André Chappuis France Marcel Tinazzi
1983 Republic of Ireland Seán Kelly Switzerland Jean-Marie Grezet Netherlands Joop Zoetemelk
1984 Republic of Ireland Seán Kelly France Pascal Simon Republic of Ireland Stephen Roche
1985 Republic of Ireland Stephen Roche France Charly Berard Republic of Ireland Seán Kelly
1986 Switzerland Urs Zimmermann Republic of Ireland Seán Kelly United States Greg LeMond
1987 Republic of Ireland Seán Kelly Republic of Ireland Stephen Roche France Pascal Simon
1988 Netherlands Erik Breukink France Laurent Fignon United Kingdom Robert Millar
1989 Spain Miguel Induráin France Charly Mottet Republic of Ireland Stephen Roche
1990 France Laurent Fignon France Gilles Delion France Jean-Claude Leclercq
1991 Republic of Ireland Stephen Roche France Gérard Rué France Charly Mottet
1992 France Jean-François Bernard Netherlands Gert-Jan Theunisse Italy Giorgio Furlan
1993 Netherlands Erik Breukink Switzerland Tony Rominger Switzerland Alex Zülle
1994 Italy Giorgio Furlan Switzerland Tony Rominger Russia Evgueni Berzin
1995 France Laurent Jalabert Russia Vladislav Bobrik Russia Evgueni Berzin
1996 United Kingdom Chris Boardman Italy Michele Coppolillo Switzerland Mauro Gianetti
1997 Spain Marcelino García France Laurent Jalabert France Pascal Lino
1998 United States Bobby Julich Italy Davide Rebellin Denmark Bo Hamburger
1999 Germany Jens Voigt United Kingdom David Millar Kazakhstan Andrei Teteriouk
2000 Spain Abraham Olano Spain Juan Carlos Domínguez Kazakhstan Alexander Vinokourov
2001 Belgium Rik Verbrugghe Spain José Alberto Martínez Germany Jens Voigt
2002 Spain José Alberto Martínez United States Lance Armstrong* France David Moncoutié
2003 France Laurent Brochard Germany Jens Voigt France David Moncoutié
2004 Germany Jens Voigt Spain José Iván Gutiérrez United States Lance Armstrong*
2005 United States Bobby Julich Netherlands Thomas Dekker Germany Jörg Jaksche
2006 Italy Ivan Basso Netherlands Erik Dekker Ukraine Andriy Hrivko
2007 Germany Jens Voigt Sweden Thomas Lövkvist Spain Alejandro Valverde
2008 Germany Jens Voigt Sweden Gustav Larsson Spain Luis León Sánchez
2009 Germany Jens Voigt Czechoslovakia František Raboň United States Danny Pate
2010 France Pierrick Fédrigo Australia Michael Rogers Portugal Tiago Machado
2011 Luxembourg Fränk Schleck Belarus Vasil Kiryienka Estonia Rein Taaramäe
2012 Australia Cadel Evans France Pierrick Fédrigo Australia Michael Rogers
2013 United Kingdom Chris Froome Australia Richie Porte United States Tejay van Garderen
2014 France Jean-Christophe Péraud Switzerland Mathias Frank Portugal Tiago Machado
2015 France Jean-Christophe Péraud France Thibaut Pinot Italy Fabio Felline
2016 France Thibaut Pinot France Pierre Latour Netherlands Sam Oomen

*Results later voided for doping infringements

Multiple winners

Riders in italic are still active.

Wins Rider Editions
5 Émile Idée (FRA)1940 + 1942 + 1943 + 1947 + 1949
 Raymond Poulidor (FRA)1964 + 1966 + 1968 + 1971 + 1972
 Jens Voigt (GER)1999 + 2004 + 2007 + 2008 + 2009
4 Jacques Anquetil (FRA)1961 + 1963 + 1965 + 1967
3 Roger Hassenforder (FRA)1954 + 1956 + 1958
 Seán Kelly (IRL)1983 + 1984 + 1987
2 Roger Lapébie (FRA)1934 + 1937
 Camille Danguillaume (FRA)1946 + 1948
 Louison Bobet (FRA)1951 + 1952
 Bernard Hinault (FRA)1978 + 1981
 Laurent Fignon (FRA)1982 + 1990
 Stephen Roche (IRL)1985 + 1991
 Erik Breukink (NED)1988 + 1993
 Bobby Julich (USA)1998 + 2005
 Jean-Christophe Péraud (FRA)2014 + 2015

Wins per country

Wins Country
58
 France
5
 Ireland,  Germany
4
 Spain
3
 Netherlands
2
 Italy,  United States,  United Kingdom
1
 Australia,  Belgium,  Luxembourg,   Switzerland

References

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