| Tuscan Strongman's Misfortune
The 45th edition of Paris-Roubaix was held on Sunday, April 6, 1947.
Defending champion George Claes returned P-R to confirm that his 1946 victory was not a fluke.
When the starter’s flag dropped the race flew across the early kms.
A little-known Tuscan rider stole the day.Olimpio Bizzi (Viscontea) rode aggressively in the breakaway with 212 km remaining in the race.
Race Status:
At the twenty km mark in Bessancourt (20 km / 246 km), Alfred Macorig (Metropole), Lucien Vlaemynck (Alcyon), Edouard Muller (Alcyon), Olimpio Bizzi (Viscontea), Mario Fazio (Viscontea), Andre Desmoulins (Peugeot), and Robert Charpentier (La Perle) formed the first serious breakaway.
In Amiens (133 km / 246 km), misfortune hit the group when Macorig and Desmoulins punctured and lost contact with the leaders. Struggling into a strong headwind Charpentier and Muller crashed and also lost contact.
The remaining trio rolled into the tough cobbled sections near Arras (200 km / 246 km), when Bizzi dropped Fazio and Vlaemynck. Bravely he held off an elite chase group as the kms clicked down.
The Tuscan’s lead grew to 2’00” when disaster struck!?!? He swerved into the gutter of road and broke his rear wheel. The wheel was quickly changed, but he restarted with only a 40” lead with 20 kms to go.
Two kms from the velodrome an ever-attentive George Claes accelerated and led a 3-rider group that caught and dropped a tearful Bizzi.
Frenchman Louis Thietard (Metropole) led out the long sprint in the velodrome. Adolf Verschueren (Mercier) counter-attacked but Claes easily flew around Verschueren and Thietard's lead out to claim his second consecutive P-R victory.
After the race Claes offered a huge compliment to Bizzi for such an extraordinary effort with so little luck.
P-R April 6, 1947 |
246 Km, St. Denis (north of Paris) to Roubaix (Velodrome)
|
1.
George CLAES (Bel) 6h10'34” |
2.
Adolf Verschueren (Bel) |
3.
Loius Thietard (Fra) |
Starters: 200 / Finishers: 36 Average Speed: 39.803 km/h |
|
P-R 1946 P-R 1948
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