The Gypsy in full flight
Happy Solstice.
Now, that cyclocross season is joyfully in full swing legend Roger De Vlaeminck married road racing and cyclocross into a monumental recipe for success. His career spanned nearly two decades with more than 160 victories, not the least four Paris-Roubaix titles, three wins at Milan-San Remo, six Tirreno-Adriatico wins, two Tour of Lombardy, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Tour of Flanders, 22 stage wins Giro d'ltalia (he won seven stages at the 1975 Giro d'ltalia alone, fourth on GC). His last year as an amateur was foretelling of his greatness. He was 1968 Amateur CX World Champion and 3X National Cyclocross Champion crowning it as the 1975 CX World Champion.
His eccentric approach to riding a full winter of cyclocross as preparation for the Classics was already mocked in the 1970s but the results speak for themselves. De Vlaeminck excelled at this time of year, during the Spring Classics and early season stage races. Eleven monuments, the last of only three men to win all five (fellow Belgians sharing the top step are Merckx and Van Looy). He's regarded by many as the greatest Classics rider of all time.
Road riding and cross compliments each other:
"I've been saying it for years! 'Cross is the best preparation for the road and of course they go together. I didn't do anything else for my whole career. But they all knew better - 50 years of experience and all my victories and they say for years on end that it doesn't go together. If I was managing a team, they'd all have to ride five crosses every year. You learn how to steer, how to fall."
-Roger De Vlaeminck
Comments