Etoile de Bessèges (2.1), France

Winners, podium, distance, average speed

The Etoile de Bessèges, held in early February, is the first stage race of the European season. The first 3 editions of the race, from 1971 to 1973, were 1-day races. In 1974 it expanded to 5 stages, but was judged on points rather than time. The General Classification was determined by points through 1978. The 3-stage 1979 edition as well as subsequent years used elapsed time.

Year	1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place	Distance	Average Speed km/hr
1971	Jean-Luc Molineris	René Grelin @ s.t.	Barry Hoban @ 15sec	150 km
1972	Jean-Luc Molineris	Guy Maingon @ 17sec	Daniel Van Rijckegem @ 47sec	150 km
1973	Robert Mintkiewicz 3hr 4min	Serge Lapébie @ s.t.	Bernard Masson @ s.t.	119 km	38.804
1974	Jacques Escalssan 24 points	Gerrie Knetemann, Charly Rouxel tied at 34 points		621 km
1975	Patrick Beon 34 points	Charly Rouxel 45 pointd	Patrick Perret 67 points	729 km
1976	Maurice Le Guilloux 67 points	Bernard Labourdette 80 points	Guy Dolhats 85 points	782 km
1977	Willy Planckaert 27 points	Serge Van Daele 46 points	Sean Kelly 49 points	655 km
1978	Dietrich Thurau 6 points	Leo Van Vliet 35 points	Guido Van Sweevelt 38 pooints	689 km
1979	Jacques Michaud 10hr 29min 10sec	Ferdi Van Den Haute @ 2min 38sec	Christian Levavasseur @ s.t.	423 km	40.339
1980	Franky De Gendt 9hr 58min 37sec	Jean-Louis Gauthier @ 55sec	Wladimiro Panizza @ s.t.	408 km	40.894
1981	Jan Raas 10hr 59min 9sec	Régis Clere @ 11sec	Frank Hoste @ 50sec	410.2 km	37.339
1982	Cees Priem 10hr 23min 49sec	Leo Van Vliet @ 2min 7sec	Patrick Bonnet @ 2min 11sec	412 km	39.627
1983	Bert Oosterbosch 10hr 5min 11sec	Gilbert Glaus @ 9sec	Gerrie Knetemann @ 34sec	378.8 km	37.556
1984	Eddy Planckaert 11hr 5sec	Jos Lammertinck @ 3sec	Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke @ 8sec	430.45 km	39.131
1985	Guy Nulens 10hr 46min 26sec	Jean-Claude Leclercq @ 3sec	Steven Rooks @ 20sec	406.5 km	37.730
1986	Niki Ruttiman 11hr 11min 13sec	Marc Sergeant @ .2sec	Kim Andersen @ 2sec	415.8 km	37.168
1987	Ronan Pensec 9hr 38min 9sec	Laurent Fignon @ 3sec	Guido Winterberg @ 4sec	395 km	40.993
1988	Adri Van Der Poel 10hr 45min 1sec	Régis Simon @ s.t.	Soren Lilholt @ 9sec	407.5 km	37.906
1989	Etienne De Wilde 13hr 33min 33sec	Teun Van Vliet @ 1sec	Frans Maasen @ s.t.	557 km	41.079
1990	Frans Maasen 16hr 51min 22sec	Michel Vermote @ 7sec	Henri Manders @ 14sec	672.3 km	39.885
1991	Ad Wijnands 11hr 37min 11sec	Stephan Joho @ s.t.	Frans Maasen @ s.t.	474 km	40.792
1992	Beat Zberg 15hr 14min 25sec	Danny Nelissen @ 34sec	Ronan Pensec @ 39sec	577.7 km	37.906
1993	Armand De Las Cuevas 16hr 53min 6sec	Jean-Pierre Heynderickx @ 11sec	Charly Mottet @ s.t.	656 km	38.851
1994	Jean-Paul Van Poppel 16hr 50min 37sec	Christophe Leroscouet @ s.t.	Christian Chaubet @ s.t.	689 km	40.906
1995	Serguei Outschakov 14hr 31min 35sec	Andrei Tchmil @ 1min 10sec	François Simon @ 1min 20sec	572.7 km	39.425
1996	Jan Svorada 17hr 39min 32sec	Wilfried Nelissen @ 20sec	Fabio Baldato @ 31sec	735.4 km	41.645
1997	Patrice Halgand 16hr 26min 42sec	Zbigniew Spruch @ 5sec	Bruno Boscardin @ 6sec	708.7 km	43.095
1998	Jo Planckaert 16ht 36min 49sec	Alberto Elli @ 5sec	Philippe Gaumont @ 8sec	683.9 km	41.165
1999	David Lefevre 16hr 5min 26sec	Jens Voigt @ 4sec	Andrei Tchmil @ 9sec	681.4 km	42.348
2000	Jo Planckaert 15hr 29min 18sec	Jaan Kirispuu @ 14sec	Chris Peers @ 22sec	672 km	43.387
2001	Niko Eeckhout 16hr 48min 48sec	Damien Nazon @ 21sec	Jan Svorada @ 34sec	708.2 km	42.121
2002	Robbie McEwen 16hr 48min 40sec	Andrea Ferrigato @ 8sec	Lorenzo Bernucci @ 20sec	723.2 km	43.109
2003	Fabio Baldato 19hr 1min 30sec	Mickael Skelde @ 5sec	Franck Bouyer @ 6sec	766 km	41.263
2004	Laurent Brochard 18hr 10min 37sec	Sylvain Calzati @ 8sec	Joseba Zubeldia @ 10sec	746.6 km	41.074
2005	Freddy Bichot 18hr 3min 19sec	Maxime Monfort @ 8sec	Arnaud Labbé @ 1min 39sec	719.5 km	39.850
2006	Frederik Willems 17hr 46min 12sec	Preben Van Hecke @ 26sec	Thomas Voeckler @ s.t.	714.9 km	40.231
2007	Nick Nuyens 17hr 30min 53sec	Vasil Kiryienka @ 8sec	Preben Van Hecke @ 10sec	717.9 km	40.988
2008	Yury Trofimov 17hr 46min 33sec	Gianni Meersman @ 52sec	Pierrick Fedrigo @ 57sec	738 km	41.517
2009	Thomas Voeckler 14hr 32min 55sec	Jure Kocjan @ 1min 7sec	Yury Trofimov @ 1min 8sec	626.5 km	43.062
2010	Samuel Dumoulin 17hr 10min 27sec	Matthieu Ladagnous @ 3sec	Pieter Ghyllebert @ 4sec	718.3 km	41.818
2011	Anthony Ravard 17hr 46min 10sec	Marco Marcato @ 7sec	Johnny Hoogerland @ s.t.	731.7 km	41.177
2012	Jérôme Coppel 12hr 40min 8sec	Franck Vermeulen @ 25sec	Rein Taaramae @ 26sec	505.9 km	39.94

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