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Critérium des As
Race details
English name	Race of the Aces
Discipline	Road
History
First edition	1921
Editions	61
Final edition	1990
First winner	Philippe Thys
Most wins	Rik Van Steenbergen (5 wins)
Final winner	Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle

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]

History

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

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