Flandria was a Belgian professional
cycling team
A cycling team is a group of cycle sport, cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle racing, bicycle races whether amateur or professional – and the supporting personnel. Cycling teams are most important i ...
that existed from 1957 to 1979. It was sponsored by Flandria a bicycle manufacturer located in
West Flanders
West Flanders is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, in Belgium. It is the only coastal Belgian province, facing the North Sea to the northwest. It has land borders with the Dutch province of Zeeland to the northeast, the Flemis ...
that also manufactures mopeds, lawnmowers, and motorbikes.
History
Started with a team built around
Joseph Planckaert, and
Rik Van Looy. Youngsters
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 ...
,
Peter Post,
Herman Van Springel, and
Walter Godefroot 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 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 during this span. He also finished 5th in the
1972 Tour de France 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