Joseph Bruyère

Joseph Bruyère, born on 5 October 1948 in Maastricht in the Netherlands, is a former Belgian cyclist who was a professional from 1970 to 1980. He won Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1976 and 1978 and the classic Het Volk in 1974, 1975 and 1980, a shared record for that race. He rode the Tour de France six times, won the nineteenth stage in 1972, and wore the yellow jersey for three days in 1974 and for eight days in 1978, when he finished fourth overall. He began his professional career in the team of Eddy Merckx and served as his lieutenant, working at the front of the peloton, but could not take over as a star when Merckx retired.