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 was 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.

History and route The Critérium International was 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. Starting with the 1959 race, 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. 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. Because of its challenging route and usually mild weather conditions in early spring, the Critérium International was often contended by many general classification riders in their build-up towards the Grand Tours, notably the Tour de France.

On November 18, 2016, the ASO announced that it would no longer organise the two-day event, ending its 85-year run. The race was considered to have been overshadowed by events taking place on the same weekend – namely Gent–Wevelgem and Volta a Catalunya.

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

*Results later voided for doping infringements

Multiple winners Riders in italic are still active.

Wins Rider Editions 5 1940 + 1942 + 1943 + 1947 + 1949 1964 + 1966 + 1968 + 1971 + 1972 1999 + 2004 + 2007 + 2008 + 2009 4 1961 + 1963 + 1965 + 1967 3 1954 + 1956 + 1958 1983 + 1984 + 1987 2 1934 + 1937 1946 + 1948 1951 + 1952 1978 + 1981 1982 + 1990 1985 + 1991 1988 + 1993 1998 + 2005 2014 + 2015

Wins per country Wins Country , , , , , ,

References

External links