In 1949, a bizarre and controversial turn of events led to France’s André Mahé and Italy’s Serse Coppi both being declared the winner of Paris-Roubaix despite crossing the line minutes apart
Words Giles Belbin
Just imagine for a moment that it’s 17th April 1949 and you are a 29-year-old professional cyclist riding for Stella-Dunlop with a handful of decent results over a five-year career. Today you are in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, the city where you were born. You are standing astride your bike among 215 other riders, ready for the 47th edition of the most revered one-day race in the calendar: Paris-Roubaix.
The flag drops. Ahead lies 244km of rough, cobblestoned roads then a sprint on the Roubaix velodrome to the finish line. At least the weather is kind – ‘a beautiful spring morning’ is how Le Miroir des Sports will later describe it – and you are feeling good. A fortnight ago you took fifth at the Critérium National, and while you aren’t among the favourites here – Rik Van Steenbergen, Fausto Coppi, Louison Bobet, Fiorenzo Magni and Émile Idée – you finished ninth last year. You are André Mahé, and you know how to ride the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix.
You ride well. The kilometres tick by and you watch the escapes go, unconcerned and playing the long game. You know that the worst of the cobbles are at Wattignies, 22km before the finish, and it is here that you make your effort. Out front are two riders – Jesus Moujica and Florent Mathieu – who are working together and stretching out a decent lead. Still, you reel them in and with 5km to go you’ve bridged the gap along with Frans Leenen. You’re now leading the race with Moujica, Mathieu and Leenen. No one else is in sight. The winner will come from this final selection.
So you dig into your reserves and go again. A photographer pulls alongside and snaps an image that will grace the front pages in the days to come – one that shows you out of the saddle, hunched over your handlebars, leg muscles straining. Behind, your rivals panic as they try to react. Mathieu falls, leaving you with just two on your wheel as you approach the velodrome. It’s pandemonium and there are cars everywhere. You try to remain focussed – you know there’s a sprint to come and that Moujica is probably the fastest of the group. How can you play this to come out on top? Then a gendarme appears right in front of you, his left arm out, instructing you to turn to your right. You follow his direction.
