It takes two to tangle: Rik Van Steenbergen vs Fausto Coppi (II/VI)

March 29 ^th 2023 - 12:20

Rik Van Steenbergen vs Fausto Coppi (II/VI)

The legends of sport are forged in the fire of long-running rivalries between two champions. Paris–Roubaix, a prime target for the cobble-gobblers, often sets the stage for no-holds-barred contests between acrobats on wheels. A mechanical at the wrong time, poor positioning or a moment of hesitation when the decisive move comes can seal the outcome of the race. The site paris-roubaix.fr looks back on the history of these epic duels ahead of the latest showdown between the best of enemies, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, in their hunt for a maiden win in the Queen of Classics.

Fausto Coppi was in a league of his own in the 1950s. The Italian, an overwhelming force of nature in the Grand Tours, shone in the classics too, but in Paris–Roubaix and the Worlds he usually came up short against the mighty Rik Van Steenbergen, a two-time winner on the cobblestones of northern France. 

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