Challenge Desgrange-Colombo

The Challenge Desgrange-Colombo was a season-long road bicycle racing competition between 1948 and 1958. Named after long-time Tour de France director Henri Desgrange and Giro d'Italia director Emilio Colombo, the competition was organised by the newspapers L'Équipe, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Het Nieuwsblad-Sportwereld and Les Sports. It marked early co-operation between L'Équipe and La Gazzetta dello Sport which lasts to this day.

Riders' performances in the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Milan–San Remo, Paris–Roubaix, Tour of Flanders, La Flèche Wallonne, Paris–Brussels, Paris–Tours and the Giro di Lombardia counted towards the competition. The Tour de Suisse was added in 1949, Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 1951, the Vuelta a España in 1958.

The first winner was Belgian Alberic Schotte (winner of the 1948 Tour of Flanders and also World road race champion that year). The 1949 version was won by the Italian Fausto Coppi while 1950 went to the Swiss Ferdi Kubler and 1951 to Louison Bobet. Kubler won the Challenge Desgrange-Colombo three times (he added victories in 1952 and 1954) - a record equalled by Fred de Bruyne, who won from 1956 to 1958.

YearFirstSecondThirdFourthFifth
1948Briek SchotteFermo CamelliniGino BartaliFiorenzo MagniVito Ortelli
1949Fausto CoppiGino BartaliFiorenzo MagniNedo LogliAdolfo Leoni
1950Ferdinand KüblerFiorenzo MagniHugo KobletFausto CoppiGino Bartali
1951Louison BobetFerdinand KüblerFiorenzo MagniHugo KobletGino Bartali
1952Ferdinand KüblerFausto CoppiStan OckersBriek SchotteJean Robic
1953Loretto PetrucciLouison BobetStan OckersPasquale FornaraFerdinand Kübler
1954Ferdinand KüblerRaymond ImpanisLouison BobetGermain DerijckeRoger Decock
1955Stan OckersLouison BobetJean BrankartHugo KobletGermain Derijcke
1956Fred De BruyneStan OckersJean ForestierAndré VlayenLouison Bobet
1957Fred De BruyneRaymond ImpanisGastone NenciniLouison BobetMiguel Poblet
1958Fred De BruyneRik Van LooyJacques AnquetilMiguel PobletErcole Baldini


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.