The Heroes

Wanting to compare cycling champions of different generations makes no sense. To compare champions of diverse generations we can consult their presence on honorary lists. Selecting cyclists who left their mark on an honorary list of a specified competition is easier. Underneath you will find a sports biography of some cycling champions which have each won at least two times Gent-Wevelgem.

Tom Boonen ( 2004, 2011 en 2012 )

Hoeven we hem nog voor te stellen,Tom Boonen is ongetwijfeld de populairste Belgische renner van zijn generatie. Alhoewel de Kempenaar in 2011 graag voor de vijfde keer de E3 had gewonnen werd hij omwille van het algemeen ploegbelang door zijn ploegleider Patrick Lefevere met zachte hand gedwongen om te starten in Gent-Wevelgem, een koers waar hij naar eigen zeggen niet van houdt. Toch kon hij er zich mentaal volledig voor opladen. Het zou hem geen windeieren leggen. In een spannende 73 ste editie van Gent-Wevelgem kreeg Boonen zijn maats mooi op een rijtje. Steegmans zette hem op zo’n driehonderd meter...

Tom Steels ( 1996 en 1999 )

Toen Tom Steels in 1996 overstapte van Vlaanderen 2002 naar het grote Mapei groeide hij uit tot een spurter van wereldklasse. Nadat hij in het prille voorjaar de Omloop Het Volk had gewonnen, rekende hij een maand later in de Vanackerestraat in een zij-aan-zij af met de Italianen Giovanni Lombardi en Fabio Baldato. Op het einde van datzelfde seizoen werd hij nog tweede in Parijs-Tours. In 1999 zorgden Museeuw en zijn eerste luitenant Wilfried Peeters ervoor dat hun snelle ploegmakker Steels op een vakkundige wijze onder de vod van de laatste kilometer werd afgezet. Voor de Waaslander was het een...

Mario Cipollini ( 1992,1993 en 2002 )

Gent-Wevelgem, anno 1992, Mario Cipollini was declared winner after the downgrade of Abdoujaparov. Gent-Wevelgem, anno 1993, « super Mario’s » dream, to wave winner’s bouquet once more after a regular sprint, became reality. Nine years later the fastest sprinter of his generation was celebrating again in the Vanackerestraat. This time not after a sprint at the top of a peloton but following a duel with four ‘fugitives’. On the level but hazardous track between Kemmel and Wijtschate Cipo rode in a strong head-wind the longest sprint of his career. After a pursuit of several kilometres he alone succeed in joining Fred Rodriguez,...

Freddy Maertens ( 1975 en 1976)

In the middle of the seventies Freddy Maertens won where en when he wanted to. In this period the West-Flanders resident won one of the most spectacular victories of Gent-Wevelgem. In the spring of 1975 Maertens, who was leader of the Flandria team at the age of 23, won over 60 competitions in only 18 months time. Only a classic tour victory lacked on the hit-parade of the resident of Lombardsijde. On the 9 of April 1975 he filled this gap. In an unforgettable sprint Maertens triumphed easily from the most rapid pedals of his peloton with a.o. Frans Verbeeck,...

Eddy Merckx ( 1967, 1970 en 1973 )

Athletic force and intelligence, hazard brought both of them together in one person: Eddy Merckx. Every organiser wants the name of the biggest cyclist of all times at least once on the honorary list of his course. If you succeed in doing so three times, as Gent-Wevelgem did, it’s an important highlight for the competition’s hit-parade. As a professional cyclist the cannibal mounted no less than 5 times on the podium for only 12 participations. The first time it was at the age of 21 when he won a sprint from the Dutchman Jan Janssen. Three years later at three km...

Rik Van Looy ( 1956, 1957 en 1962 )

The 3rd September 1953 Rik Van Looy rode his first professional competition, the success was immediate. Rik had to wait another 3 years before adding the victory of a real classic tour to his “hit-parade”. Just as many other big champions he obtained this victory in Gent-Wevelgem (1956). In 1962 Rik seemed imperial. With his triumphs in the Tour of Flandres, Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix Van Looy made an achievement nobody else had made before (and up till now nobody else made after him). With an excellent spring condition the emperor was during almost 2 decades one of the main attractions...

Raymond Impanis ( 1952 en 1953 )

The last day of 2010 Raymond Impanis died in Vilvoorde at the age of 85 following a long period of illness. ‘The little baker of the mount’, was the son of a baker in Kampenhout. On the celebration of the 75th Gent-Wevelgem he told Michel Wuyts that Gent-Wevelgem was made for him. Hills, paving, a big risk of riding in a fan-shaped pack, the favourite track for the little resident of Brabant. His results prove it; 1948 : fourth, 1949 : present in Ypres, 1950 and 1951 : no participation, 1952 and 1953 : first, 1954 : present, 1955 : third, 1956 : eighth, 1957 : twelfth, 1958 :...

Briek Schotte ( 1950 and 1955 )

‘The last of the Flemish’, the superior Flemish’, ‘the most Flemish of the Flemish’, ‘the Kanegem humpback’, ‘iron Briek’, or simply ‘Briek’. Those are some of the nick-names given to the very popular Albéric Léon Schotte during and after his career. The Kanegem resident was above all a single-day competition champion. As well as in Paris-Tours (1946 and 1947), Paris-Brussels (1946 and 1952), Gent-Wevelgem (1950 and 1955) as in ‘across Belgium’ (1953 and 1955) Briek took a double-stroke. Between 1939 and 1959 Briek was present no less than 14 times at the starting line of Gent-Wevelgem. A resume; 1939 and...

Frans Aerenhouts ( 1960 en 1961 )

Since the youth categories the son-in-law of Ward Visser gained his best victories every time during the month of April, he even won twice in only one week. As a beginner Frans triumphed no less than 17 times in 1955. As an amateur he took 22 times the first march of the podium. As a neoprofessional he beat nobody less than Fausto Coppi in 1958 in an up hill sprint. The Wilrijk resident was above all a specialist of single-day competitions, but on the other hand he finished 17th in the Tour de France in 1961 and 12th in the...

Robert Van Eenaeme ( 1936, 1937 and 1945 )

One shouldn’t be ashamed for not knowing Robert Van Eennaeme. However he is part of, together with Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx and Mario Cipollini, a small exceptional group of cyclists which have won three times Gent-Wevelgem. The triumvirate Van Looy, Merckx and Cipollini won as professional cyclists. Van Eenaeme won two times as an independent cyclist and once as a professional cyclist. Especially his victory as a professional cyclist was thrilling. Almost a week after Gent-Wevelgem a picture was published with as subtitle ‘the photographer is the courses judge’. This picture proved that not Maurice Van Herzele but Robert...