The Super Prestige Pernod was a season-long competition in

road bicycle racing Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common ...

between 1958 and 1987. For the first edition it was known as the Prestige Pernod, and for the last four years as the Super Prestige Pernod International.

History

Disagreements between the organisers of the similar

Challenge Desgrange-Colombo The Challenge Desgrange-Colombo was a season-long road bicycle racing competition between 1948 and 1958. There were two classifications, one for individual cyclists and another for nations. History The Challenge Desgrange-Colombo competition was ...

led to its demise and a gap in season-long competitions. In 1958, the publicity division of

Pernod Pernod Ricard () is a French company best known for its anise-flavoured pastis apéritifs Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis (often referred to simply as ''Pernod'' or '' Ricard''). The world’s second-largest wine and spirits seller, it also pro ...

offered a trophy for the best French rider of the year. The competition was known as the Prestige Pernod. It was a rival to

Challenge Yellow The Challenge Yellow, also known as Challenge Sedis, was a prize given yearly by the chain company Sedis to the best cyclists in the French races from 1931 to 1982. The winner was unofficially seen as the best cyclist in the French cycling season. ...

, run by the chain company Sedis since 1931. The following year, Pernod added the Super Prestige Pernod, for the best rider of the year, assessed on points attributed to the biggest races. At the same time it introduced Promotion Pernod, for the best French rider under 25. The Super Prestige Pernod became an unofficial world points championship. A fourth class, Promotion Internationale, appeared in 1983 but that and the Promotion Pernod vanished the following year to create a single Super Prestige Pernod. A women's competition was added in 1985. Both were abandoned at the end of 1987 when France banned drinks advertising in sport. The Super Prestige Pernod was won by some of the greatest names in professional cycle racing. They included

Jacques Anquetil Jacques Anquetil (; 8 January 1934 – 18 November 1987) was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964. He stated before the 1961 Tour that he would gain the y ...

, who won four times,

Eddy Merckx Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (, ; born 17 June 1945), better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional road and track bicycle racer who is among the most successful riders in the history of competitive cycling. His victorie ...

won a record seven times (1969–1975);

Bernard Hinault Bernard Hinault (; born 14 November 1954) is a French former professional road cyclist. With 147 professional victories, including five times the Tour de France, he is often named among the greatest cyclists of all time. In his career, Hinault ...

equalled Anquetil's total with his fourth consecutive victory in 1982; while the final four years were won by Irish riders Sean Kelly (1984–1986) and

Stephen Roche Stephen Roche (; born 28 November 1959) is an Irish former professional road racing cyclist. In a 13-year professional career, he peaked in 1987, becoming the second of only two cyclists to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de F ...

(1987). Anquetil was the only rider to regain the title having lost it, a feat he achieved twice.

Races

Winners

Source:

Citations

References

External links