Paris–Roubaix —a Belgian affair (IV/V)

April 13 ^th 2022 - 12:00

Roger De Vlaeminck,  The Gypsy (IV/V) 

Black, yellow and red. Belgium's national colours shine brighter than any other on the honour roll of Paris–Roubaix, with 57 victories in 118 editions, courtesy of 41 different cyclists who rode across the border and to glory on the cobblestones of northern France.  

At a time when national champion Wout van Aert is tipped as a hot favourite, just a few months after rising star Florian Vermeersch stormed to a sensational podium finish in his debut in the Queen of Classics, much in the same vein as Tom Boonen, who took his last triumph here ten years ago, paris-roubaix.fr is looking back on the Roubaix careers of five great Belgian winners.  

Among all the great classics riders, Roger De Vlaeminck is the one who came to epitomise the singular nature of Paris–Roubaix. He stood on the top step of the podium on four occasions at a time when Eddy Merckx was leaving everyone else to fight for the scraps, but that is only one part of his history with the Queen of Classics. He never finished lower than seventh place in thirteen starts, earning him the nickname "Monsieur Paris–Roubaix".