# Super Prestige Pernod

The Super Prestige Pernod was a season-long competition in road bicycle racing 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 led to its demise and a gap in season-long competitions. In 1958, the publicity division of Pernod 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, 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, who won four times, Eddy Merckx won a record seven times (1969–1975); Bernard 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 (1987). Anquetil was the only rider to regain the title having lost it, a feat he achieved twice.

## Races

| Race | Location | Type | Years | Editions within SPP |
| Amstel Gold Race | Netherlands | Single day race | 1976–1987 | 10 |
| Bordeaux–Paris | France | Single day race | 1959–1970, 1973–1987 | 27 |
| Circuit du Provençal | France | Stage race | 1965 | 1 |
| Clásica de San Sebastián | Spain | Single day race | 1987 | 1 |
| Clásico RCN | Colombia | Stage race | 1986–1987 | 2 |
| Coors Classic | United States | Stage race | 1986–1987 | 2 |
| Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré | France | Stage race | 1959–1966, 1969–1974, 1976–1987 | 26 |
| Four Days of Dunkirk | France | Stage race | 1961–1962, 1967–1987 | 23 |
| Genoa–Nice | Italy/ France | Single day race | 1961–1962 | 2 |
| Gent–Wevelgem | Belgium | Single day race | 1979–1987 | 9 |
| Giro d'Italia | Italy | Stage race | 1961–1987 | 27 |
| Giro di Campania | Italy | Single day race | 1962 | 1 |
| Giro di Lombardia | Italy | Single day race | 1960–1987 | 28 |
| Grand Prix de Fourmies | France | Single day race | 1979 | 1 |
| Grand Prix des Nations | France | Individual time trial | 1959–1987 | 29 |
| Grand Prix du Midi Libre | France | Stage race | 1961, 1966–1967, 1969–1974, 1976–1987 | 21 |
| Grand Prix du Parisien | France | Team time trial | 1963–1965 | 3 |
| Grand Prix Stan Ockers | France | Single day race | 1959–1960, 1962–1963 | 4 |
| La Flèche Wallonne | Belgium | Single day race | 1961–1970, 1972, 1974, 1976–1987 | 24 |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | Belgium | Single day race | 1960, 1965–1969, 1971, 1973, 1975–1987 | 21 |
| Milan–San Remo | Italy | Single day race | 1960–1987 | 28 |
| Milano–Torino | Italy | Single day race | 1979 | 1 |
| Omloop Het Volk | Belgium | Single-day race | 1983–1987 | 5 |
| Paris–Brussels | France/ Belgium | Single day race | 1959–1966, 1975–1978, 1981–1984, 1986–1987 | 18 |
| Paris–Luxembourg | France/ Luxembourg | Stage race | 1964–1970 | 7 |
| Paris–Nice | France | Stage race | 1960, 1963–1987 | 26 |
| Paris–Roubaix | France | Single day race | 1959–1987 | 29 |
| Paris–Tours | France | Single day race | 1959–1987 | 29 |
| Rund um den Henninger Turm | Germany | Single day race | 1968–1974, 1977–1987 | 18 |
| Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme | Spain | Stage race | 1972–1974, 1976, 1978 | 5 |
| Tirreno–Adriatico | Italy | Stage race | 1980–1987 | 8 |
| Tour de France | France | Stage race | 1959–1987 | 29 |
| Tour de l'Avenir | France | Stage race | 1982–1987 | 6 |
| Tour de l'Ouest | France | Stage race | 1959 | 1 |
| Tour de la Nouvelle-France | Canada | Stage race | 1972–1973 | 2 |
| Tour de Romandie | Switzerland | Stage race | 1961–1962, 1974–1987 | 16 |
| Tour de Suisse | Switzerland | Stage race | 1974–1975, 1977–1987 | 13 |
| Tour of Flanders | Belgium | Single day race | 1960–1987 | 28 |
| Tour of Ireland | Ireland | Stage race | 1987 | 1 |
| Tre Valli Varesine | Italy | Single day race | 1961 | 1 |
| UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race | Varied | Single day race | 1959–1987 | 29 |
| Volta a Catalunya | Spain | Stage race | 1975, 1977, 1985–1987 | 5 |
| Vuelta a Colombia | Colombia | Stage race | 1986–1987 | 2 |
| Vuelta a España | Spain | Stage race | 1961–1987 | 27 |
| Züri-Metzgete | Switzerland | Single day race | 1975, 1979–1982, 1984–1987 | 9 |

## Winners

Source:
| Year | Winner | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth |
| 1959 | Henry Anglade | Roger Rivière | Noël Foré | Rik Van Looy | Gérard Saint |
| 1960 | Jean Graczyk | Pino Cerami | Gastone Nencini | Raymond Mastrotto | Rik Van Looy |
| 1961 | Jacques Anquetil | Raymond Poulidor | Rik Van Looy | Gilbert Desmet I | Nino Defilippis |
| 1962 | Jo de Roo | Jef Planckaert | Emile Daems | Rik Van Looy | Jacques Anquetil |
| 1963 | Jacques Anquetil | Tom Simpson | Raymond Poulidor | Jo de Roo | Rik Van Looy |
| 1964 | Raymond Poulidor | Jan Janssen | Jacques Anquetil | Rik Van Looy | Benoni Beheyt |
| 1965 | Jacques Anquetil | Tom Simpson | Ward Sels | Raymond Poulidor | Felice Gimondi |
| 1966 | Jacques Anquetil | Felice Gimondi | Raymond Poulidor | Jan Janssen | Lucien Aimar |
| 1967 | Jan Janssen | Eddy Merckx | Felice Gimondi | Roger Pingeon | Franco Balmamion |
| 1968 | Herman Van Springel | Felice Gimondi | Jan Janssen | Eddy Merckx | Walter Godefroot |
| 1969 | Eddy Merckx | Felice Gimondi | Herman Van Springel | Raymond Poulidor | Walter Godefroot |
| 1970 | Eddy Merckx | Herman Van Springel | Luis Ocaña | Eric Leman | Felice Gimondi |
| 1971 | Eddy Merckx | Luis Ocaña | Gösta Pettersson | Joop Zoetemelk | Cyrille Guimard |
| 1972 | Eddy Merckx | Raymond Poulidor | Cyrille Guimard | Yves Hézard | Joop Zoetemelk |
| 1973 | Eddy Merckx | Luis Ocaña | Felice Gimondi | Joop Zoetemelk | Freddy Maertens |
| 1974 | Eddy Merckx | Roger De Vlaeminck | Frans Verbeeck | Raymond Poulidor | Joop Zoetemelk |
| 1975 | Eddy Merckx | Roger De Vlaeminck | Francesco Moser | Bernard Thévenet | Freddy Maertens |
| 1976 | Freddy Maertens | Francesco Moser | Joop Zoetemelk | Eddy Merckx | Lucien Van Impe |
| 1977 | Freddy Maertens | Roger De Vlaeminck | Bernard Hinault | Joop Zoetemelk | Francesco Moser |
| 1978 | Francesco Moser | Bernard Hinault | Joop Zoetemelk | Gerrie Knetemann | Jan Raas |
| 1979 | Bernard Hinault | Giuseppe Saronni | Joop Zoetemelk | Francesco Moser | Jan Raas |
| 1980 | Bernard Hinault | Fons De Wolf | Francesco Moser | Hennie Kuiper | Giuseppe Saronni |
| 1981 | Bernard Hinault | Roger De Vlaeminck | Jan Raas | Fons De Wolf | Hennie Kuiper |
| 1982 | Bernard Hinault | Giuseppe Saronni | Silvano Contini | Tommy Prim | Sean Kelly |
| 1983 | Greg LeMond | Sean Kelly | Jan Raas | Giuseppe Saronni | Adri van der Poel |
| 1984 | Sean Kelly | Bernard Hinault | Phil Anderson | Laurent Fignon | Francesco Moser |
| 1985 | Sean Kelly | Phil Anderson | Greg LeMond | Bernard Hinault | Moreno Argentin |
| 1986 | Sean Kelly | Greg LeMond | Claude Criquielion | Adri van der Poel | Urs Zimmermann |
| 1987 | Stephen Roche | Sean Kelly | Claude Criquielion | Charly Mottet | Eric Vanderaerden |