History

It was 1966 when Eric De Vlaeminck became the first Belgian ever to win the cyclocross world championship in Beasain, Spain. This victory immediately earned him the National Trophy for Sports Merit. 

When Miguel Indurain was young, he played football and participated in athletics, but cycling did not catch his attention. When he was 12 years old, this changed: he participated in a cycle race for the first time and immediately fell in love with the sport. 

Roger de Vlaeminck was one of the few riders who could challenge Eddy Merckx at the peak of his career. This was reflected in the results he achieved during his professional cycling career. Alongside Eddy Merckx and Rik van Looy, he was one of the only riders to win all five cycling classics.

In 1939, the team leaders of the Legano cycling team, where Gino Bartali was the front man, saw a new talent emerging, called Fausto Coppi. From the beginning, Coppi was very assertive and self-confident, which most 'servants' would not dare to show. Bartali and Coppi were opposites in all aspects.

After Greg had helped Hinault to win the Giro d'Italia that year, he hoped that it would be his turn to go for the win at the Tour. That this hope was in vain became immediately clear from the prologue. 

Hendrik Gerardus Joseph Zoetemelk is a legendary cyclist, who is known as one of the best Dutch racing cyclists ever. However, he was nicknamed 'the eternal second' because he finished second in the Tour de France no less than six times! Finally, in 1980, he was able to put an end to this streak.