Impanis became a professional rider on 2 October 1946 in theAlcyon team. In 1947, he came second inLiège-Bastogne-Liège and fourth inParis-Roubaix. In July, he took part in his firstTour 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-placedJean Robic. He finished sixth in the general classification. The following year, he won two more stages in the Tour, finishing tenth. He wonGent-Wevelgem in 1952 and 1953.[2]
In 1954, Raymond Impanis joined theMercier team led byAntonin Magne. He had his best year there. In March, he wonParis-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 theTour of Flanders. The following week, he addedParis-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 the1956 Tour of Spain and won theFlèche 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 DutchmanServais Knaven and in 2011 by AmericanGeorge Hincapie and FrenchmanFrédéric 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]
From 1982, the raceGPRaymond Impanis is organized in his honour. He was made an honorary citizen ofKampenhout in 1999. In 2012, a bust of him was erected inBerg, his birthplace.[5]
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Tour of Belgium Independents
Belgian National Road Race Championships Independents
Belgian National Road Race Championships
Paris–Nice
Paris–Nice
