Flandria was a Belgian professional
cycling team
A cycling team is a group of cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races whether amateur or professional – and the supporting personnel. Cycling teams are most important in road bicycle racing
Road ...
that existed from 1957 to 1979. It was sponsored by Flandria a bicycle manufacturer located in
West Flanders
West Flanders ( nl, West-Vlaanderen ; vls, West Vloandern; french: (Province de) Flandre-Occidentale ; german: Westflandern ) is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the No ...
that also manufactures mopeds, lawnmowers, and motorbikes.
History
Started with a team built around
, and
Rik Van Looy
Henri "Rik" Van Looy (born 20 December 1933 in Grobbendonk) is a Belgian former professional cyclist of the post- war period, nicknamed the ''King of the Classics'' or ''Emperor of Herentals'' (after the small Belgian city where he lived). He ...
. Youngsters
Eddy Merckx
Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (, ; born 17 June 1945), better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional road and track bicycle racer who is among the most successful riders in the history of competitive cycling. His victorie ...
,
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 ...
,
Herman Van Springel
Herman Vanspringel (14 August 1943 – 25 August 2022), also spelled Herman Van Springel, was a Belgian road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region. He achieved podium finishes in all three of the grand tour ...
, and
Walter Godefroot
Walter Godefroot (born 2 July 1943) is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer and former directeur sportif of , later known as T-Mobile Team.
As amateur cyclist, he won the bronze medal in the individual road race of the 1964 Summer ...
all joined at early stages of their career, although some such as Merckx left soon after to become leader of his own team.
After Van Looy's retirement, Belgian
Freddy Maertens
Freddy Maertens (born 13 February 1952) is a Belgian people, Belgian former professional racing cyclist who was twice UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race, world road race champion. His career coincided with the best years of another ...
took over the leadership mantle, famous for his rivalry with Eddy Merckx. Irishman
Sean Kelly also started his professional career with Flandria, as Maertens' super-domestique.
Joop Zoetemelk rode for the team from 1970-1972 finishing on the podium twice in the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
during this span. He also finished 5th in the
1972 Tour de France
The 1972 Tour de France was the 59th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place from 1 to 22 July, with 20 stages covering a distance of . The long awaited clash between Eddy Merckx and Luis Ocaña after Ocaña cra ...
and won the King of the Mountains classification in the
1971 Vuelta a España.
Roster
Roster in 1975:
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References
Further reading
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External links
{{Giro d'Italia team classification winners
Cycling teams based in Belgium
Cycling teams established in 1957
Cycling teams disestablished in 1979
Defunct cycling teams based in Belgium