Stan Ockers

Stan Ockers, christened Constant Ockers, was a Belgian professional racing cyclist who raced on the road and on the track and lived from 3 February 1920 to 1 October 1956. He was runner-up in the Tour de France in 1950 and 1952 and the leading sprinter of that race in 1955 and 1956. In 1955 he won La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the same year, the so-called Ardennes double, and he also took the world road championship that season. His riding style divided opinion, since some thought he profited from the work of others, but he is remembered as one of the prominent riders of his generation, alongside Rik Van Steenbergen and Rik Van Looy. He died two days after a crash at the opening of the 1956 Antwerp track season, when he struck a rider returning to the track after a mechanical failure. A monument went up at Les Forges in Sprimont a year later, several races carry his name, and he was introduced into the UCI Hall of Fame in 2002.