Walter Godefroot

Walter Godefroot (2 July 1943 to 1 September 2025) was a Belgian professional road racing cyclist, nicknamed The Bulldog of Flanders, who later became a team director. As an amateur he won the bronze medal in the individual road race at the 1964 Summer Olympics and he turned professional in 1965 alongside Eddy Merckx. He won the Belgian championship in 1965 and 1972, Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1967, Paris-Roubaix in 1969, the Tour of Flanders in 1968 and 1978, and Bordeaux-Paris in 1969 and 1976. In the grand tours he won ten Tour de France stages, including the first Champs-Élysées finish in 1975, the green jersey in 1970, a Giro d'Italia stage in 1970 and two Vuelta a España stages in 1971. He tested positive for a doping product in 1977. As a manager he led Telekom, T-Mobile and Astana.