André Mahé

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André Mahé
Personal information
Full name André Mahé
Date of birth November 18, 1919 (age 87)
Country Flag of France France
Team information
Current team Retired
Discipline Road
Role Rider
Rider type Classics specialist
Professional team(s)
1946-1947
1948-1950
1951-1952
1953
1954		 Metropole-Dunlop
Stella-Dunlop
Terrot
Peugeot-Dunlop
Royal Codrix
Major wins
Paris-Roubaix (1949)
Paris-Tours (1950)
Infobox last updated on:
March 24, 2007

André Mahé (born November 18, 1919 in Paris, France) was a French road bicycle racer. He was a professional rider from 1945 until 1954. He jointly won the 1949 classic cycle race Paris-Roubaix with Serse Coppi in controversial fashion. In 1950 he won the classic Paris-Tours race.

Contents

[edit] Major results

1946

1947

  • 3rd Circuit de l'Aulne
  • 1st stage 1, Tour de l'Ouest
  • 2nd stage 1, Tour de France

1948

  • 1st Circuit "Maine-Normandie-Anjou"
  • 2nd Paris-Nantes
  • 2nd Tour de l'Ouest
  • 3rd Grand Prix du Pneumatique à Montluçon

1949

  • 1st Paris-Roubaix (jointly with Serse Coppi)
  • 1st Grand Prix de l'Equipe

1950

1951

  • 1st Grand Prix de "L'Echo d'Alger"
  • 2nd Paris-Saint Amand-Montrond

1952

1953

  • 1st Montsauche
  • 3rd Boucles de la Gartempe (1st on stage 3)
  • 3rd Grand Prix du Maine

1954

  • 1st Montsauche
  • 1st Hennebont

[edit] The story of the 1949 Paris-Roubaix

The result of the 1949 Paris-Roubaix took several months and two international conferences to sort out. André Mahé was first across the line, but his win was challenged on the grounds that he took the wrong course.

Mahé was in a break of three riders that reached the Roubaix velodrome in the lead, but was misdirected by officials. Mahé, Jacques Moujica and Frans Leenen were desperate to get inside the stadium and cross the finish line before the next riders arrived. Moujica damaged his bike in the process, but Mahé and Leenen got into the stadium by a back door. They scrambled down through the seats and launched themselves onto the track to sprint for the line. André Mahé was first and was awarded the race. Or so it seemed.

Mahé acknowledged the crowds, took the bouquet, did a lap of honour and then headed to clean himself up at the track's showers.

A few minutes later the bunch arrived using the correct route and Serse Coppi, brother of the more famous Fausto, won the sprint for, what was assumed to be, the minor placings.

When the Coppi brothers heard about Mahé's uncoventional approach to the finish they protested, demanding that he be disqualified or demoted and that Serse be named as the winner.

The judges changed their minds and awarded Coppi the race. So then Mahé's people protested. Five days later the French federation confirmed André Mahé as the winner. The Italian federation then protested to the Union Cycliste Internationale and the dispute became international. The UCI's response (in August 1949) was to declare the race null - no winner. However, they agreed to review their decision at a conference in November of that year.

In November the Belgian federation sided with the Italians. After much internal politicking a compromise was reached. The final outcome - to reinstate the race and declare André Mahé and Serse Coppi as joint winners was not popular with either side. The race was Serse Coppi's only classic win.

In a 2007 interview, André Mahé still maintained that he should have been awarded the race. He said of Fausto Coppi: "Coppi wanted his brother to have a big victory. He was a great champion, Coppi, but to do what he did - to protest like that to get a victory for his brother - that wasn't dignified for a champion. That was beneath him."[1]

[edit] Other results

Mahé made his mark in the professional peleton in his second year, 1946, by winning the Tour du Finistère and coming third in the classic Grand Prix des Nations time trial. He finished the Tour de France only once (in 1949), finishing 49th.

After his win at Roubaix he went on to win the classic Paris-Tours race the next year (1950). In 1952 he claimed an (undisputed!) third place at the Paris-Roubaix despite puncturing and having to change his own tyre during the race.

He retired from racing in 1955.

[edit] Retirement

After retiring from cycling he went to work with his father-in-law's cable-making company in Paris. When the company moved to Compiègne in Northern France (coincidentally, now the starting point of the Paris-Roubaix) he relocated to that area. Since retiring he has cut most of his links with cycling, though he has attended the Paris-Roubaix as an invited guest.

[edit] External links

[edit] Bibliography

Woodland, L. "Share Deal" - an interview with André Mahé about the 1949 Paris-Roubaix in Procycling Issue 97, April 2007

[edit] Reference

  1. ^ Woodland, L. "Share Deal" an interview with André Mahé, Procycling magazine, Issue 97, April 2007, pp. 74-5
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