The 1966 Paris–Roubaix was the 64th edition of the Paris–Roubaix cycle race and was held on 17 April 1966.[2] The race started in Compiègne and finished in Roubaix.[3]
The 262.5 kilometres (163.1 mi) course included the 1.1 kilometres (0.68 mi) cobbled Pas Roland climb up to Mons-en-Pévèle, with a average gradient of 4% and a maximum gradient of 8%. The race was won by Italian rider Felice Gimondi of the Salvarani team, who attacked on the Pas Roland climb before soloing to the finish in Roubaix.[4] The Pas Roland climb was subsequently paved with asphalt before the 1967 edition of the race.[4]
^ ab"Paris-Roubaix: Moments that have defined cycling's most-loved Monument". Global Cycling Network. Retrieved 2024-04-10. A climb adjacent to Mons-en-Pévèle, Caouin, featured in 1958 but the cobbled hike to the village itself was introduced in 1966, as one of the race's most fearsome tests. The race organisers plotted a route up the notoriously rough lane known as 'Pas-Roland', and the cobbles instantly made an impact, with Felice Gimondi attacking and reaching the top of the sector alone. He would ride the next 40km solo to win his first and only Paris-Roubaix title, but the Pas-Roland was soon paved over, as was the common treatment for much of the pavé in those days.
