The Passing of a Giant....

from cyclingnews:

Rik Van Steenbergen dies One of the world's greatest all round riders, Rik Van Steenbergen, has died
aged 78 in a hospital in Antwerp. Van Steenbergen passed away on Thursday evening after a long
illness, having been hospitalised for the last month. The Belgian nicknamed "Rik I" or "The Boss"
won an incredible 952 races on the road and the track during his career that spanned 25 years, and
he will be remembered by many for his achievements.

His professional career started in 1943 during the Second World War, and he won 15 road races that
year, including the Belgian championship and the Championship of Flanders. He also won 27 races on
the track, and that was the beginning of an enormously successful career. During his time Van
Steenbergen rode against the likes Fausto Coppi, Ferdi Kubler, Hugo Koblet, Gino Bartali, and later,
Rik Van Looy, who was nicknamed "Rik II". He retired in 1966, having spent the last few years
concentrating on the track.

Career highlights include:

3 World Road Championships (1949, 1956, 157) 8 major classics wins (Tour of Flanders x 2,
Paris-Roubaix x 2, Flèche Wallonne x 2, Paris-Bruxelles, Milan-San Remo) 7 Belgian Road
Championships 4 Stage wins in the Tour de France 15 Stage wins in the Giro d'Italia (including
second overall 1951) 6 Stage wins in the Vuelta Espana 40 Six Day wins 6 European Track
Championships 9 Belgian Track Championships

Bio Born: Arendonk, September 9, 1924 Died: Antwerp, May 15, 2003 Professional between: 1943 and
1966 Teams: Mercier-Hutchinson (1943-54), Elve-Peugeot (1955-59), Peugeot-BP (1960), Van
Steenbergen-Solo (1961), Solo-Van Steenbergen (1962), Solo-Terrot
(1963).

Major Road Wins
1964: Belgian Road Race Championship, Championship of Flanders
1965: Tour of Flanders
1966: Belgian Road Race Championship
1967: Tour of Flanders
1968: Paris-Roubaix
1969: World Road Race Championship, Flèche Wallonne, 2 stages Tour de France
1970: Paris-Brussels, 1 stage Tour de France
1971: 2 stages Giro d'Italia (second overall)
1972: Paris-Roubaix, 3 stages Giro d'Italia
1973: 1 stage Giro d'Italia
1974: Belgian Road Race Championship, Milan-San Remo, 4 stages Giro d'Italia
1975: 1 stage Tour de France
1976: World Road Race Championship, 6 stages Vuelta a España (5th overall)
1977: World Road Race Championship, 5 stages Giro d'Italia
1978: Flèche Wallonne

 

He was about the level of a Museeuw of his generation. I did not know he got a secong place in
the Giro .

RIP.

"brian roth" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> from cyclingnews:
>
>
> Rik Van Steenbergen dies One of the world's greatest all round riders, Rik Van Steenbergen, has
> died aged 78 in a hospital in Antwerp. Van Steenbergen passed away on Thursday evening after a
> long illness, having been hospitalised for the last month. The Belgian nicknamed "Rik I" or "The
> Boss" won an incredible 952 races on the road and the track during his career that spanned 25
> years, and he will be remembered by many for his achievements.
>
> His professional career started in 1943 during the Second World War, and he won 15 road races that
> year, including the Belgian championship and the Championship of Flanders. He also won 27 races on
> the track, and that was the beginning of an enormously successful career. During his time Van
> Steenbergen rode against the likes Fausto Coppi, Ferdi Kubler, Hugo Koblet, Gino Bartali, and
> later, Rik Van Looy, who was nicknamed "Rik II". He retired in 1966, having spent the last few
> years concentrating on the track.
>
> Career highlights include:
>
> 3 World Road Championships (1949, 1956, 157) 8 major classics wins (Tour of Flanders x 2,
> Paris-Roubaix x 2, Flèche Wallonne x 2, Paris-Bruxelles, Milan-San Remo) 7 Belgian Road
> Championships 4 Stage wins in the Tour de France 15 Stage wins in the Giro d'Italia (including
> second overall 1951) 6 Stage wins in the Vuelta Espana 40 Six Day wins 6 European Track
> Championships 9 Belgian Track Championships
>
> Bio Born: Arendonk, September 9, 1924 Died: Antwerp, May 15, 2003 Professional between: 1943 and
> 1966 Teams: Mercier-Hutchinson (1943-54), Elve-Peugeot (1955-59), Peugeot-BP (1960), Van
> Steenbergen-Solo (1961), Solo-Van Steenbergen (1962), Solo-Terrot
> (1963).
>
> Major Road Wins
> 1943: Belgian Road Race Championship, Championship of Flanders
> 1944: Tour of Flanders
> 1945: Belgian Road Race Championship
> 1946: Tour of Flanders
> 1948: Paris-Roubaix
> 1949: World Road Race Championship, Flèche Wallonne, 2 stages Tour de France
> 1950: Paris-Brussels, 1 stage Tour de France
> 1951: 2 stages Giro d'Italia (second overall)
> 1952: Paris-Roubaix, 3 stages Giro d'Italia
> 1953: 1 stage Giro d'Italia
> 1954: Belgian Road Race Championship, Milan-San Remo, 4 stages Giro d'Italia
> 1955: 1 stage Tour de France
> 1956: World Road Race Championship, 6 stages Vuelta a España (5th overall)
> 1957: World Road Race Championship, 5 stages Giro d'Italia
> 1958: Flèche Wallonne

 

On Thu, 15 May 2003 22:35:40 GMT, "Nick Burns" <[email protected]> wrote:

>He was about the level of a Museeuw of his generation. I did not know he got a secong place in
>the Giro .
>
>RIP.
>

Museeuw wishes he could be RVS.

---
Kelly Beard, a.k.a. Mr. K.V.B. Liar

 

I hear ya there. Great diversity.

Stage, one-day, classics, worlds, track, 6-day.

Did M do track? Have such diversity on the road?

People talk about cycling being tougher today, but wasn't it bigger in the old days? I'd think it's
getting more dilute and that competition was probably tougher back then.

Also, it was cooler back then, too.

Who in recent years has had the fashionable style of Antiqueil(sp)?

Has there been a Hemingway hanging around the track lately?

We're lucky to have ol' Sam Abt still reporting on it. After him? Will there be any classy reports
from the Paris Bureau?

Cyclists today might occasionally still wear Italian fashion but they seem ever more like pro
linebackers when they do.

Style patrol! Who's got it? I have hopes, of course. It's hard to keep style away from cyclists, but
they've been giving it up in spades for years now.

As for toughness, has anyone yet beaten Eddy's record on an Eddy-bike? That's a nobrainer but I
haven't heard it's been done. The kids are so tough today it should be a cinch, right?

Ken Very Big Liar wrote:

> Museeuw wishes he could be RVS.

--

Jeff Potter [email protected] http://OutYourBackdoor.com -- a friendly ezine of modern
folkways and culture revival...offering a line of alternative books and a world of bikes, boats,
skis...plus shops for great sleeper books, videos and music ...plus nationwide "Off the Beaten Path"
travel forums for local fun, bumperstickers and a new social magnet stickers! ...Holy Smokes!!!

 

I was actually thinking of his classics results. No doubt he has a larger and more diverse palmares.

"Ken Very Big Liar" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Thu, 15 May 2003 22:35:40 GMT, "Nick Burns"
<[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >He was about the level of a Museeuw of his generation. I did not know he
got
> >a secong place in the Giro .
> >
> >RIP.
> >
>
> Museeuw wishes he could be RVS.
>
> ---
> Kelly Beard, a.k.a. Mr. K.V.B. Liar

 

On Fri, 16 May 2003 11:10:39 -0400, Jeff Potter <[email protected]> wrote:

>As for toughness, has anyone yet beaten Eddy's record on an Eddy-bike? That's a nobrainer but I
>haven't heard it's been done. The kids are so tough today it should be a cinch, right?

If you mean the hour record then yes -

Record de l’heure / Hour record RECORD ABSOLU / ABSOLUTE RECORD 49km441 CHRISTOPHER BOARDMAN (GBR)
27.10.2000 MANCHESTER (GBR)

here for photos

http://www.lunt.demon.co.uk/athletes.htm

Tough enough by 13 metres...

Regards! Stephen

 

"Jeff Potter" <[email protected]> wrote in message

> competition was probably tougher back then.

No.

> As for toughness, has anyone yet beaten Eddy's record on an Eddy-bike? That's a nobrainer but I
> haven't heard it's been done.

Jeff, read the f*cking news -- like www.cyclingnews.com, etc.. Don't just write and mumble and
blather. Read and learn.

JT

--
*******************************************
NB: reply-to address is munged

Visit http://www.jt10000.com
*******************************************

 

In article <[email protected]>, Jeff Potter
<[email protected]> wrote:

> I hear ya there. Great diversity.
>
> Stage, one-day, classics, worlds, track, 6-day.
>
> Did M do track? Have such diversity on the road?
>
> People talk about cycling being tougher today, but wasn't it bigger in the old days? I'd think
> it's getting more dilute and that competition was probably tougher back then.
>
> Also, it was cooler back then, too.
>
> Who in recent years has had the fashionable style of Antiqueil(sp)?
>
> Has there been a Hemingway hanging around the track lately?
>
> We're lucky to have ol' Sam Abt still reporting on it. After him? Will there be any classy reports
> from the Paris Bureau?
>
> Cyclists today might occasionally still wear Italian fashion but they seem ever more like pro
> linebackers when they do.
>
> Style patrol! Who's got it? I have hopes, of course. It's hard to keep style away from cyclists,
> but they've been giving it up in spades for years now.
>
> As for toughness, has anyone yet beaten Eddy's record on an Eddy-bike? That's a nobrainer but I
> haven't heard it's been done. The kids are so tough today it should be a cinch, right?

Chris Boardman holds both the Absolute Hour Record (funny bike) and the UCI Hour Record
(traditional bike).

--
Steven L. Sheffield stevens at veloworks dot com veloworks at worldnet dot ay tea tee dot net bellum
pax est libertas servitus est ignoratio vis est

 

Steve McGinty wrote:

> On Fri, 16 May 2003 11:10:39 -0400, Jeff Potter <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >As for toughness, has anyone yet beaten Eddy's record on an Eddy-bike? That's a nobrainer but I
> >haven't heard it's been done. The kids are so tough today it should be a cinch, right?
>
> If you mean the hour record then yes -
>
> Record de l’heure / Hour record RECORD ABSOLU / ABSOLUTE RECORD 49km441 CHRISTOPHER BOARDMAN (GBR)
> 27.10.2000 MANCHESTER (GBR)
>
> here for photos
>
> http://www.lunt.demon.co.uk/athletes.htm
>
> Tough enough by 13 metres...

Cool! Thanks for the news. I'm behind on the news. I figured something might've happened after that
new "Absolute" rule which put Eddy's bike, at any rate, back in the lead. : )

--

Jeff Potter [email protected] http://OutYourBackdoor.com -- a friendly ezine of modern
folkways and culture revival...offering a line of alternative books and a world of bikes, boats,
skis...plus shops for great sleeper books, videos and music ...plus nationwide "Off the Beaten Path"
travel forums for local fun, bumperstickers and a new social magnet stickers! ...Holy Smokes!!!