| Demeyer’s Determination
A union protest held up the start of the 1976 Paris-Roubaix for an hour. The race director’s car received four flat tires. Negotiations by Jacques Goddet allowed the race to start.
All the aggressive early breakaways were caught by the first cobbled section at Neuvilly. The decisive attack of the race came in the closing cobbled sections. Roger De Vlaeminck tried to drop the remaining peloton. Only Marc Demeyer, Francesco Moser, Hennie Kuiper, and Walter Godefroot could hold the Gypsy’s wheel.
De Vlaeminck was in full control and entered the velodrome first. Confidently De Vlaeminck led out the sprint. As Moser began to come past the Belgian, a determined Marc Demeyer carried his speed of the final bend and surge past both of the superstars for the victory.
SPECIAL NOTE: Eddy Merckx did not have a good day. Because of crashes, punctures and mechanicals he was forced to change his bicycle 10 times!
P-R April 11, 1976 |
270.5 Km, Chantilly to Roubaix (Velodrome) |
1.
Marc DEMEYER (Bel) 6h37'41" |
2.
Francesco Moser (Ita) |
| 3.
Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) |
Starters: 154 |
| Finishers: 38 |
Average Speed: 40.811 km/h |
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74th Paris-Roubaix 1976 (France) 
