Ferdinand Bracke (born 25 May 1939) is a Belgian former professional

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

and track

cyclist Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

who is most famous for holding the World Hour Record (48.093 km) and winning the overall title at the 1971

Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...

in front of Wilfried David of Belgium and

Luis Ocaña Jesús Luis Ocaña Pernía (; 9 June 1945 – 19 May 1994) was a Spanish road bicycle racer who won the 1973 Tour de France and the 1970 Vuelta a España. During the 1971 Tour de France he launched an amazing solo breakaway that put him ...

of Spain. He also became world pursuit champion on the track in 1964 and 1969.

Biography

Bracke was born in

Hamme Hamme () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the settlements of Hamme proper, Kastel Moerzeke, and . In 2018, Hamme had a total population of 24,827. ...

East Flanders East Flanders ( ; ; ; ) is a Provinces of Belgium, province of Belgium. It borders (clockwise from the North) the Netherlands, Dutch province of Zeeland and the Belgian provinces of Antwerp (province), Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, Hainaut (provinc ...

, Belgium, on 24 May 1939. A rouleur and

time trialist A time trialist is a road bicycle racer who can maintain high speeds for long periods of time, to maximize performance during individual or team time trials. The term ''cronoman'', or ''chronoman'', is also used to refer to a time trialist. Detail ...

, he emerged as an amateur in 1962 by winning the tenth stage of the

Peace Race The Peace Race (, , , (), , , , ) is a cycling race that was established as the largest event in Eastern Europe after the Second World War. Since 2013, it has been run as one of the most prestigious stage races for national U23 teams. Histo ...

. In May of the same year he won the Grand Prix des Nations, a time trial race. He turned pro on 26 September 1962, joining the Peugeot-BP-Dunlop team headed by Gaston Plaud. In the following years he obtained numerous prestigious victories on road: he won the Trofeo Baracchi, together with

Eddy Merckx Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (born 17 June 1945), known as Eddy Merckx (, ), is a Belgian former professional road and track cyclist racer who is the most successful rider in the history of competitive cycling. His victories include an ...

, in 1966 and 1967, a stage in the

1966 Tour de France The 1966 Tour de France was the 53rd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place between 21 June and 14 July, with 22 stages covering a distance of . Lucien Aimar was a domestique of 5-time Tour winner Jacques An ...

and the final time trial of the

1976 Tour de France The 1976 Tour de France was the 63rd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours. It took between 24 June and 18 July, with 22 stages covering a distance of . It was won by mountain specialist Lucien Van Impe ...

. He finished in third place in the general classification at the

1968 Tour de France The 1968 Tour de France was the 55th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place between 27 June and 21 July, with 22 stages covering a distance of . Eleven national teams of 10 riders competed, with three French ...

. In 1971 he won the

, beating compatriot Wilfried David (who placed second) and Spaniard

(who placed third). He became world champion in track pursuit in 1964 in Paris and again in Antwerp in

1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...

, then winning second place in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

and

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...

and placing third in

1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...

. On 30 October 1967 he recorded the

hour record The hour record is the record for the longest distance cycled in one hour on a bicycle from a stationary start. Cyclists attempt this record alone on the track without other competitors present. It is considered one of the most prestigious record ...

with 48,093 kilometers at the Olympic Velodrome in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, becoming the first cyclist to reach the milestone of 48 kilometers. The record, broken the following year by Ole Ritter, remained the best performance on track below 600 meters of altitude for a long time. In 1978 he ended his cycling career and took over a furniture business with his wife.Udo Witte: ''Campionissimo, Monsieur Chrono, Kannibale & Co..'' BoD – Books on Demand, 2015, ISBN 978-3-738-61692-7, p. 345 Google Books ID=JwOSCgAAQBAJ. On 17 February 1979, Bracke was bid farewell to cycling at a cycling gala in the Sports Palace in

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

Honours

In 1967 Bracke was voted Belgian Sportsman of the Year (the first in history to receive this award) and was awarded the Belgian Sports Merit Award.

Major results

Road

;1961 : 1st Overall

Tour of Austria The Tour of Austria () is a stage race, stage cycling race held in Austria. From 1949 to 1995 it was a race for amateur cyclists, turning into a professional event in 1996. In 2005 and 2006 it was organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour ...

amateurs : 1st Stages 1 & 2a ( TTT) Etoile Hennuyère : 1st Stage 2 Ronde van Limburg amateurs : 1st Stage 2b ( ITT)

Tour de Wallonie The Tour de Wallonie is a stage race cycling race on the UCI Europe Tour. It runs in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium in the end of July. Between 1974 and 1995 it was reserved to amateurs. Since 2005, the race has been organized as a ...

;1962 : 1st Grand Prix des Nations ( ITT) : 1st Stage 10

: 2nd Grand Prix du Parisien : 3rd

Gran Premio di Lugano The Gran Premio di Lugano () is a road bicycle race held annually in Lugano, Switzerland. Prior to 1981 it was held as an individual time trial but in recent years it has been organised as a UCI race classifications, 1.1 event on the UCI Europe T ...

;1963 :1st Grand Prix du Parisien :2nd Flèche Hesbignonne :2nd Manche-Océan :2nd Grand Prix des Nations : 2nd

:3rd Trofeo Baracchi (with

Walter Boucquet Walter Boucquet (11 May 1941 in Meulebeke – 10 February 2018 in Ingelmunster) was a Belgian cyclist. Major results ;1963 :1st Stage 3 Tour du Nord :2nd Overall :3rd Grand Prix des Nations :3rd Trofeo Baracchi :3rd :3rd Tielt–Antwerpen–Ti ...

) ;1964 : 1st Stage 2b Tour du Sud-Est : 1st Stage 5b ( TTT)

Four Days of Dunkirk The Four Days of Dunkirk () is road bicycle race around the Nord-Pas de Calais region of northern France. Despite the name of the race, since the addition of an individual time trial in 1963, the race has been held over a 5 or 6 day period for ...

: 1st Stage 4

Grand Prix du Midi Libre The Grand Prix du Midi Libre (referred to as just Midi Libre) was a multiple-stage road cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation co ...

: 1st

:2nd

Tour de l'Oise The Tour de Picardie was a professional multi-stage cycle road race that was held between 1936 and 2016 in Picardy, France. In its last twelve editions, it was organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a se ...

:3rd Bruxelles-Verviers :3rd Omloop van West Brabant ;1965 :1st Tour de Haute-Loire :1st GP de la Basse-Sambre ;1966 : 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with

) : 1st Stage 19

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

:1st Stage 1b ( ITT)

Tour of Belgium The Tour of Belgium (; ) is a five-day bicycle race which is held annually in Belgium, and is part of the UCI ProSeries. It was held annually between 1908 and 1981, except during both world wars. Between 1982 and 1990 several races were not org ...

:1st Stage 2b ( TTT)

:2nd Escalada a Montjuïc ;1967 : 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with

) : 3rd

Interclubs road race, National Road Championships ;1968 :1st European Time Trial Cup (with Vittorio Adorni) :1st LuK Challenge Chrono (with Vittorio Adorni) :2nd Silver medal blank

National Road Championships :2nd Overall Paris-Nice ::1st Stage 8b ( ITT) : 3rd Overall

;1969 : 1st Stage 2b ( ITT)

: 1st Stage 1c

Critérium du Dauphiné The Critérium du Dauphiné, before 2010 known as the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, is an annual cycle sport, cycling road bicycle racing, road race in the Dauphiné region in the southeast of France. The race is run over eight days during ...

:2nd Overall

:: 1st Stage 3 ;1970 :1st Grand Prix de Wallonie : 1st Stage 5b ( ITT)

;1971 : 1st Jersey gold

Overall

:1st Flèche Hesbignonne :2nd Overall

Tour de Luxembourg The Tour de Luxembourg is an annual stage race in professional road bicycle racing held in Luxembourg. The Tour de Luxembourg is classified as a UCI race classifications, 2.Pro race, the highest rating below the UCI World Tour, World Tour, by the ...

:3rd Overall

;1972 :1st Stage 5 Étoile des Espoirs :1st Prologue ( TTT)

:3rd Overall

;1973 : 1st

Grand Prix Pino Cerami Grand Prix Pino Cerami is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in April in Hainaut, Belgium. From 2005 to 2019, the race was organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, before being cancelled from 2019 to 2022. Upon its return in 2 ...

;1974 : 1st Grand Prix de Monaco :

Tour de Picardie The Tour de Picardie was a professional multi-stage cycle road race that was held between 1936 and 2016 in Picardy, France. In its last twelve editions, it was organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a se ...

:: 1st stage 3 :3rd Overall

:: 1st stage 6 : 3rd Circuit de la Région Linière :2nd

Le Samyn Le Samyn is an annual single-day road bicycle race in Belgium, held usually in late February or early March. The event was created in 1968 as ''Grand Prix de Fayt-le-Franc'', named after the former municipality where it started and finished. In ...

;1975 : 3rd GP de Wallonie ;1976 : 1st Stage 17

;1977 :1st Bruxelles-Biévène ;1978 :2nd Bruxelles-Ingooigem :3rd Trofee Luc Van Biesen

Track

;1964 : 1st Jersey rainbow

Individual pursuit The individual pursuit is a track cycling event where two cyclists begin the race from a stationary position on opposite sides of the track. It is held at over for men and women. The riders start at the same time and set off to complete the rac ...

UCI World Championships The UCI World Championships are annual competitions promoted by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to determine world champion cyclists. They are held in several different styles of racing, in a different country each year. Championship winn ...

: 3rd

Individual pursuit, National Track Championships ;1965 : 1st Individual pursuit, National Track Championships : 2nd Silver medal uci

:3rd

Omnium An omnium (from Latin ''omnium'': of all, belonging to all) is a multiple race event in track cycling. Historically the omnium has had a variety of formats. In recent years, road racing has also adopted the term to describe multi-day races that f ...

European Championships A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...

;1966 : 2nd Silver medal uci

;1967 :

World Hour Record – 48.093km : 1st Individual pursuit, National Track Championships : 1st Six Days of Charleroi (with Patrick Sercu) ;1968 : 1st Six Days of Charleroi (with

) : 2nd

Omnium, National Track Championships ;1969 : 1st Jersey rainbow

: 3rd Six Days of Charleroi (with Rudi Altig) ;1970 :2nd Six Days of Brussels :3rd Bronze medal blank

Omnium, National Track Championships ;1971 :2nd Six Days of Ghent (with

Peter Post Peter Post (12 November 193314 January 2011) was a Dutch professional cyclist whose career lasted from 1956 to 1972. Post competed in road and track racing. As a rider he is best remembered for Six-day racing, having competed in 155 races and wo ...

: 3rd Six Days of Grenoble : 3rd Six Days of Brussels : 3rd Bronze medal uci

Omnium, National Track Championships ;1972 : Belgian National Championships ::1st Individual Pursuit ::1st Derny : 2nd Silver medal uci

;1973 : 1st Individual pursuit, National Track Championships :1st Six Days of Montreal (with Robert Van Lancker) : 3rd Bronze medal uci

: 3rd

Derny,

;1974 : 2nd Silver medal uci

:2nd

Individual pursuit, National Track Championships :3rd Six Days of Herning (with Julien Stevens) ;1975 : Belgian National Championships ::2nd Silver medal blank

Madison (with Willy Debosscher) ::3rd Bronze medal blank

Derny ;1977 :3rd Bronze medal blank

Omnium, National Track Championships ;1979 :3rd Six Days of Antwerp (with Constant Tourné)

World record info

References

External links

*
Official Tour de France results for Ferdinand Bracke
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bracke, Ferdinand Belgian male cyclists Belgian Tour de France stage winners Vuelta a España winners 1939 births Living people People from Hamme UCI Track Cycling World Champions (men) Cyclists from East Flanders Belgian track cyclists 20th-century Belgian sportsmen