Raymond Impanis

Raymond Impanis
	Peugeot–BP
Major wins
	Grand Tours Tour de France 3 individual stages (1947, 1948) Other stage races Paris–Nice (1954, 1960) One-day races and Classics Tour of Flanders (1954) Paris–Roubaix (1954) La Flèche Wallonne (1957) Gent–Wevelgem (1952, 1953)

Raymond Impanis (19 October 1925 – 31 December 2010) was a Belgian professional cyclist from 1947 to 1963. He won Paris–Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders, Gent–Wevelgem and three stages in Tour de France.^[1]

Career

Impanis became a professional rider on 2 October 1946 in the Alcyon team. In 1947, he came second in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and fourth in Paris-Roubaix. In July, he took part in his first Tour de France with the Belgian team. He won the longest time trial stage in the history of the Tour, between Vannes and Saint-Brieuc, nearly five minutes ahead of second-placed Jean Robic. He finished sixth in the general classification. The following year, he won two more stages in the Tour, finishing tenth. He won Gent-Wevelgem in 1952 and 1953.^[2]

In 1954, Raymond Impanis joined the Mercier team led by Antonin Magne. He had his best year there. In March, he won Paris-Nice, after taking the lead in the general classification during the second stage, which he won in Saint-Étienne. At the beginning of April, he won the Tour of Flanders. The following week, he added Paris-Roubaix to his list of victories. Present in a group of 22 riders at the front of the race, he attacked with 1,500 m to go and crossed the finish line with a hundred meters advantage on the second rider, Stan Ockers. Ferdi Kübler, fourth, says after the finish: "Impanis? It's a plane. There was nothing we could do against him, he flew away... ".^[3]

Raymond Impanis finished third in the 1956 Tour of Spain and won the Flèche Wallonne in 1957. In 1960, he won Paris-Nice for the second time. His last season was in 1963. That year he rode his sixteenth Paris-Roubaix. This record was equalled in 2010 by Dutchman Servais Knaven and in 2011 by American George Hincapie and Frenchman Frédéric Guesdon, before the latter two brought the record for the most appearances in the Hell of the North to seventeen in 2012.

Impanis died on 31 December 2010, aged 85, following a long illness.^[4]

Honours

From 1982, the race GP Raymond Impanis is organized in his honour. He was made an honorary citizen of Kampenhout in 1999. In 2012, a bust of him was erected in Berg, his birthplace.^[5]

Major results

Amateur

1946

1st Overall

Tour of Belgium Independents

1st Stages 3, 5 and 6

1st Omloop der Vlaamse Gewesten Independents

1st Overall Tour of Limburg

1st Stage 5

1st Liège-Charleroi-Liège

2nd GP Stad Vilvoorde

3rd

Belgian National Road Race Championships Independents

3rd Bruxelles-Liège

Professional

1947

6th Overall Tour de France

1st Stage 19

1st Stage 5 Tour of Belgium

1st Overall Berg—Housse—Berg

1st Overall Omnium de la Route

2nd

Liège-Bastogne-Liège

4th

Paris-Roubaix

1948

10th Overall Tour de France:

1st Stages 9 and 10

1st Kampenhout—Charleroi—Kampenhout

1st Omloop der Vlaamse Ardennen Ichtegem

2nd

Liège-Bastogne-Liège

4th Tour of Flanders

10th UCI World Championships Road race

1949

2nd Overall Tour of Belgium

1st Stage 3

1st Dwars door Vlaanderen

1st Berg—Housse—Berg

2nd

Belgian National Road Race Championships

2nd Liège-Saint-Hubert

3rd GP Stad Vilvoorde

5th Tour of Flanders

1950

1st Weekend ardennais

1st Stage 5 Tour of Belgium

1st Berg—Housse—Berg

1st Steenokkerzeel

2nd La Flèche Wallonne

2nd Omloop der Vlaamse Gewesten

Tour de France

8th Overall classification

9th

Milan-San Remo

1951

1st Overall Dwars door Vlaanderen

1st Stage 1

3rd Overall Deutschland Tour

1st Stage 3

1st Kortenberg

2nd GP Stad Vilvoorde

3rd Omloop Het Volk

3rd Hoeilaart-Diest-Hoeilaart

5th

Milan-San Remo

6th Paris–Roubaix

7th Tour of Flanders

9th Challenge Desgrange-Colombo

10th La Flèche Wallonne

1952

1st Gent–Wevelgem

1st Tour de Hesbaye

1st Ronde van Haspengouw

2nd Omloop Het Volk

3rd Overall Paris–Nice

1st Stage 3b

3rd La Flèche Wallonne

3rd Grand Prix de Belgique

3rd Weekend ardennais

3rd Overall Tour de Romandie

3rd Overall Deutschland Tour

5th Grand Prix des Nations

6th Paris-Brussels

9th Challenge Desgrange-Colombo

1953: 1st Gent–Wevelgem; 2nd Overall Tour d'Algérie; 5th La Flèche Wallonne; 5th Overall Tour of Belgium; 6th
Milan-San Remo; 9th Challenge Desgrange-Colombo; 10th
Liège-Bastogne-Liège

1954

1st Paris–Roubaix

1st Tour of Flanders

1st Overall

Paris–Nice

1st Stage 2

2nd

Liège-Bastogne-Liège

2nd Challenge Desgrange-Colombo

2nd Weekend ardennais

7th La Flèche Wallonne

1955: 1st Boortmeerbeek; 1st Hanret; 1st Huy; 1st La Hulpe; 2nd
Liège-Bastogne-Liège; 3rd Gent–Wevelgem; 4th Overall Tour de Luxembourg; 5th
Paris-Roubaix; 7th Challenge Desgrange-Colombo

1956: 1st Namur; 3rd Overall Vuelta a España; 2nd Driedaagse van Antwerpen; 7th Omloop Het Volk; 8th Gent–Wevelgem

1957: 1st La Flèche Wallonne; 1st
GP Stan Ockers; 1st Tour du Doubs; 1st Jadotville; 1st Knokke; 2nd Paris-Brussels; 2nd Challenge Desgrange-Colombo; 3rd Tour de Picardie; 3rd Weekend ardennais; 4th Tour de Wallonie; 5th Giro di Lombardia; 6th Paris–Roubaix; 7th Overall Giro d'Italia; 9th Trofeo Baracchi

1958: 1st Braine-le-Comte; 2nd Weekend ardennais; 3rd Vijfbergenomloop; 4th Tour de Romandie; 5th
Liège-Bastogne-Liège; 6th La Flèche Wallonne; 9th Paris–Roubaix; 10th
Milan-San Remo

1959: 1st Londerzeel; 3rd Halse Pijl; 4rd Paris–Roubaix; 9th Trofeo Baracchi

1960

1st Overall

Paris–Nice

1st Stage 2 (

TTT

)

3rd Giro di Sardegna

3rd Grand Prix de la Famenne

4th Paris-Brussels

6th Trofeo Fenaroli

8th Tour of Flanders

10th Paris–Roubaix

1961

1st Stage 4 Tour of Belgium (with Rik Van Looy and Louis Proost)

2nd Gent–Wevelgem

3rd Ronde van Limburg

3rd Antwerp-Wevelgem

3rd Cologne-Aachen-Cologne

4th Paris–Tours

4th Overall Deutschland Tour

1st Stage 2

1962: 3rd Brabantse Pijl; 6th Tour de Romandie; 9th Paris–Roubaix

Track cycling

1955: 2nd Belgian middle-distance track championship
1956: 2nd Belgian middle-distance track championship
1957: 2nd Belgian middle-distance track championship
1958: 2nd Belgian middle-distance track championship
1959: 3rd Belgian middle-distance track championship
1960: 2nd Six Days of Madrid (with Edgard Sorgeloos)
1962: 3rd Belgian middle-distance track championship
1963: 3rd Belgian middle-distance track championship

References

^ "Raymond Impanis". FirstCycling.com. 2023.
^ "Palmarès de Raymond Impanis (Bel)". Memoire-du-cyclisme.eu (in French). Retrieved 31 December 2021.
^ "Zelfs een verlamde arm kon deze Vlaams-Brabander niet van een topcarrière houden". wielerverhaal.com (in Dutch). 4 January 2018.
^ "Raymond Impanis dies aged 85". Velonation. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
^ "Wielerlegende Raymond Impanis krijgt eigen standbeeld". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 28 April 2012.

External links

Raymond Impanis at Cycling Archives
Official Tour de France results for Raymond Impanis

[1] "Raymond Impanis". FirstCycling.com. 2023.

[2] "Palmarès de Raymond Impanis (Bel)". Memoire-du-cyclisme.eu (in French). Retrieved 31 December 2021.

[3] "Zelfs een verlamde arm kon deze Vlaams-Brabander niet van een topcarrière houden". wielerverhaal.com (in Dutch). 4 January 2018.

[4] "Raymond Impanis dies aged 85". Velonation. Retrieved 1 January 2011.

[5] "Wielerlegende Raymond Impanis krijgt eigen standbeeld". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 28 April 2012.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

v t e Tour of Flanders winners
1900–1919	Paul Deman (1913) Marcel Buysse (1914) (1915–1918, not held) Henri Vanlerberghe (1919)
1920–1939	Jules Vanhevel (1920) René Vermandel (1921) Léon Devos (1922) Heiri Suter (1923) Gerard Debaets (1924) Julien Delbecque (1925) Denis Verschueren (1926) Gerard Debaets (1927) Jan Mertens (1928) Joseph Dervaes (1929) Frans Bonduel (1930) Romain Gijssels (1931–1932) Alphonse Schepers (1933) Gaston Rebry (1934) Louis Duerloo (1935) Louis Hardiquest (1936) Michel D'Hooghe (1937) Edgard De Caluwé (1938) Karel Kaers (1939)
1940–1959	Achiel Buysse (1940–1941) Briek Schotte (1942) Achiel Buysse (1943) Rik Van Steenbergen (1944) Sylvain Grysolle (1945) Rik Van Steenbergen (1946) Emiel Faignaert (1947) Briek Schotte (1948) Fiorenzo Magni (1949–1951) Roger Decock (1952) Wim van Est (1953) Raymond Impanis (1954) Louison Bobet (1955) Jean Forestier (1956) Fred De Bruyne (1957) Germain Derycke (1958) Rik Van Looy (1959)
1960–1979	Arthur Decabooter (1960) Tom Simpson (1961) Rik Van Looy (1962) Noël Foré (1963) Rudi Altig (1964) Jo de Roo (1965) Edward Sels (1966) Dino Zandegù (1967) Walter Godefroot (1968) Eddy Merckx (1969) Eric Leman (1970) Evert Dolman (1971) Eric Leman (1972–1973) Cees Bal (1974) Eddy Merckx (1975) Walter Planckaert (1976) Roger De Vlaeminck (1977) Walter Godefroot (1978) Jan Raas (1979)
1980–1999	Michel Pollentier (1980) Hennie Kuiper (1981) René Martens (1982) Jan Raas (1983) Johan Lammerts (1984) Eric Vanderaerden (1985) Adri van der Poel (1986) Claude Criquielion (1987) Eddy Planckaert (1988) Edwig Van Hooydonck (1989) Moreno Argentin (1990) Edwig Van Hooydonck (1991) Jacky Durand (1992) Johan Museeuw (1993) Gianni Bugno (1994) Johan Museeuw (1995) Michele Bartoli (1996) Rolf Sørensen (1997) Johan Museeuw (1998) Peter Van Petegem (1999)
2000–2019	Andrei Tchmil (2000) Gianluca Bortolami (2001) Andrea Tafi (2002) Peter Van Petegem (2003) Steffen Wesemann (2004) Tom Boonen (2005–2006) Alessandro Ballan (2007) Stijn Devolder (2008–2009) Fabian Cancellara (2010) Nick Nuyens (2011) Tom Boonen (2012) Fabian Cancellara (2013–2014) Alexander Kristoff (2015) Peter Sagan (2016) Philippe Gilbert (2017) Niki Terpstra (2018) Alberto Bettiol (2019)
2020–2039	Mathieu van der Poel (2020) Kasper Asgreen (2021) Mathieu van der Poel (2022) Tadej Pogačar (2023) Mathieu van der Poel (2024)

v t e Paris–Roubaix winners
1880–1899	Josef Fischer (1896) Maurice Garin (1897–1898) Albert Champion (1899)
1900–1919	Émile Bouhours (1900) Lucien Lesna (1901–1902) Hippolyte Aucouturier (1903–1904) Louis Trousselier (1905) Henri Cornet (1906) Georges Passerieu (1907) Cyrille van Hauwaert (1908) Octave Lapize (1909–1911) Charles Crupelandt (1912) François Faber (1913) Charles Crupelandt (1914) (1915–1918, not held) Henri Pélissier (1919)
1920–1939	Paul Deman (1920) Henri Pélissier (1921) Albert Dejonghe (1922) Heiri Suter (1923) Jules Vanhevel (1924) Félix Sellier (1925) Julien Delbecque (1926) Georges Ronsse (1927) André Leducq (1928) Charles Meunier (1929) Julien Vervaecke (1930) Gaston Rebry (1931) Romain Gijssels (1932) Sylvère Maes (1933) Gaston Rebry (1934–1935) Georges Speicher (1936) Jules Rossi (1937) Lucien Storme (1938) Émile Masson Jr. (1939)
1940–1959	(1940–1942, not held) Marcel Kint (1943) Maurice Desimpelaere (1944) Paul Maye (1945) Georges Claes (1946–1947) Rik Van Steenbergen (1948) André Mahé, Serse Coppi (1949) Fausto Coppi (1950) Antonio Bevilacqua (1951) Rik Van Steenbergen (1952) Germain Derycke (1953) Raymond Impanis (1954) Jean Forestier (1955) Louison Bobet (1956) Fred De Bruyne (1957) Leon Vandaele (1958) Noël Foré (1959)
1960–1979	Pino Cerami (1960) Rik Van Looy (1961–1962) Emile Daems (1963) Peter Post (1964) Rik Van Looy (1965) Felice Gimondi (1966) Jan Janssen (1967) Eddy Merckx (1968) Walter Godefroot (1969) Eddy Merckx (1970) Roger Rosiers (1971) Roger De Vlaeminck (1972) Eddy Merckx (1973) Roger De Vlaeminck (1974–1975) Marc Demeyer (1976) Roger De Vlaeminck (1977) Francesco Moser (1978–1979)
1980–1999	Francesco Moser (1980) Bernard Hinault (1981) Jan Raas (1982) Hennie Kuiper (1983) Sean Kelly (1984) Marc Madiot (1985) Sean Kelly (1986) Eric Vanderaerden (1987) Dirk Demol (1988) Jean-Marie Wampers (1989) Eddy Planckaert (1990) Marc Madiot (1991) Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle (1992–1993) Andrei Tchmil (1994) Franco Ballerini (1995) Johan Museeuw (1996) Frédéric Guesdon (1997) Franco Ballerini (1998) Andrea Tafi (1999)
2000–2019	Johan Museeuw (2000) Servais Knaven (2001) Johan Museeuw (2002) Peter Van Petegem (2003) Magnus Bäckstedt (2004) Tom Boonen (2005) Fabian Cancellara (2006) Stuart O'Grady (2007) Tom Boonen (2008–2009) Fabian Cancellara (2010) Johan Vansummeren (2011) Tom Boonen (2012) Fabian Cancellara (2013) Niki Terpstra (2014) John Degenkolb (2015) Mathew Hayman (2016) Greg Van Avermaet (2017) Peter Sagan (2018) Philippe Gilbert (2019)
2020–2039	(2020, not held) Sonny Colbrelli (2021) Dylan van Baarle (2022) Mathieu van der Poel (2023-2024)