Erik De Vlaeminck

Erik De Vlaeminck (23 March 1945 to 4 December 2015) was a Belgian cyclist who became cyclo-cross world champion seven times, in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973, a record for male riders until Mathieu van der Poel equalled and then passed it. He missed 1967 only because his bike was damaged during the race. He was also Belgian champion four times, in 1967, 1969, 1971 and 1972, at a time when the domestic title was often harder to win than the world championship. He rode road races as well, and in 1969 he won the Tour of Belgium and a stage of the Tour de France. After his racing career he was treated for amphetamine addiction, then became the Belgian national cyclo-cross coach and led the country through a dominant period of international success. He was the brother of Roger De Vlaeminck and was inducted into the UCI Cycling Hall of Fame in 2002, and the annual Grand Prix Eric De Vlaeminck cyclo-cross in Heusden-Zolder, organised since 2000, carries his name. He died on 4 December 2015 at the age of 70.