# Erik De Vlaeminck

Erik De Vlaeminck (23 March 1945 − 4 December 2015) was a Belgian cyclist who became cyclo-cross world-champion seven times (in 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973), a record for male riders, shared with Mathieu van der Poel.

## Professional career

De Vlaeminck missed 1967 only because his bike was damaged during the race. He also became Belgian champion four times (1967, 1969, 1971, 1972) at a time when there were so many good Belgian riders that the domestic championship was often harder than the world-championship.
He also performed creditably in road races, including the Tour de France. In 1969 he won the Tour of Belgium and a stage in the Tour de France.
De Vlaeminck never failed a drugs test in his racing career but was treated after it for amphetamine addiction. Many stories circulate about his supposed wild behaviour after races and after his career was over. When he returned to racing, the Belgian federation would offer him a license for only a day at a time until it saw how his life would progress. De Vlaeminck subsequently refused to speak about this period of his life.
His re-establishment was complete, however, because he became the national cyclo-cross coach and led Belgium to a dominating period of international success. He always complained, however, that while cyclo-cross brought Belgium its world championship medals, it was to road racing that the bulk of the funds were given.

## Personal life

De Vlaeminck was the brother of Roger De Vlaeminck. His son Geert died, aged 26, of a heart attack in a cyclo-cross race while his father was watching.
In later life, De Vlaeminck had Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. He died on 4 December 2015 at the age of 70.

## Honours

From 2000, an annual cyclo-cross named Grand Prix Eric De Vlaeminck is organized in Heusden-Zolder,
De Vlaeminck was introduced in the UCI Cycling Hall of Fame in 2002.

## Major results
### Road
#### 1968

    Stage 2 Tour de France
    1st Circuit du Tournaisis
    1st GP Union Dortmund

#### 1969

    1st Overall Tour of Belgium
       1st Stage 1
    1st Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
    1st Omloop der Vlaamse Ardennen
    1st Stage 1 GP du Midi Libre
    1st Ronde van West-Vlaanderen
    1st Dwars door West-Vlaanderen
    2nd La Flèche Wallonne
    2nd Boucles de l'Aulne
    2nd GP Roeselare
    2nd Leeuwse Pijl
    3rd Gent–Wevelgem
    3rd Elfstedenronde
    3rd Omloop der Zennevallei
    3rd Renaix-Tournai-Renaix
    3rd Omloop van het Waasland

#### 1970

    1st Ronde van West-Vlaanderen
    1st Overall Paris–Luxembourg
    1st Grand Prix of Aargau Canton
    2nd Omloop der drie Provinciën
    3rd Elfstedenronde
    3rd La Flèche Wallonne
    3rd Overall Tour of Belgium
    3rd GP Flandria

#### 1971

    1st GP Flandria
    1st Prologue Tour of Luxembourg
    1st De Panne II
    2nd Prix de St. Amands

#### 1972

    2nd Grote Prijs Marcel Kint

#### 1977

    7th Overall Tour d'Indre-et-Loire
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 2
    3rd E3 Harelbeke

### Cyclo-cross
#### 1963

    2nd Cyclo-cross Zonhoven
    2nd Druivencross Overijse

#### 1964

    3rd Jaarmarktcross Niel
    3rd Druivencross Overijse

#### 1965

    1st Jaarmarktcross Niel
    1st Druivencross Overijse
    1st Grand Prix du Nouvel-An

#### 1966

    1st UCI World CX Championships
    1st National CX Championships
    1st Jaarmarktcross Niel
    1st Noordzeecross Middelkerke
    1st Druivencross Overijse

#### 1967

    1st Jaarmarktcross Niel
    1st Druivencross Overijse
    1st Cyclocross Vossem

#### 1968

    1st UCI World CX Championships
    1st National CX Championships
    1st Jaarmarktcross Niel
    1st Druivencross Overijse
    1st Cyclocross Vossem
    1st Cyclocross Asse
    1st Cyclocross Berlin
    1st Cyclocross Eeklo
    1st Cyclocross Fribourg
    1st Cyclocross Gelsenkirchen
    1st Cyclocross Hannover
    1st Cyclocross Rieux
    1st Cyclocross Tervuren
    1st Cyclocross Wetteren

#### 1969

    1st UCI World CX Championships
    1st Noordzeecross Middelkerke
    1st Flemish championship cyclo racing
    1st Cyclocross Binningen
    1st Cyclocross Erembodegem
    1st Cyclocross Lucerne
    1st Cyclocross Mannheim
    1st Cyclocross Stuttgart
    1st Cyclocross Vaprio d'Agogna
    1st Cyclocross Westerburg
    2nd Druivencross Overijse
    2nd Cyclocross Vossem

#### 1970

    1st UCI World CX Championships
    1st Duinencross Koksijde
    1st Noordzeecross Middelkerke
    1st Provincial Championship Cyclocross Waasmunster
    1st Cyclophile Aigle
    1st Novate Milanese
    1st Cyclocross Pieterlen
    1st Cyclocross Estavayer
    1st Cyclocross Heusden
    1st Cyclocross Otegem

#### 1971

    1st UCI World CX Championships
    1st National CX Championships
    1st Duinencross Koksijde
    1st Noordzeecross Middelkerke
    1st Druivencross Overijse
    1st Cyclophile Aigle

#### 1972

    1st UCI World CX Championships
    1st National CX Championships
    1st Druivencross Overijse
    1st Novate Milanese
    1st Cyclocross Zürich

#### 1973

    1st UCI World CX Championships
    1st Noordzeecross Middelkerke
    1st Cyclocross Valladolid
    3rd Druivencross Overijse

#### 1975

    1st Noordzeecross Middelkerke
    1st Cyclo-cross Championship of Hainaut
    2nd National CX Championships

#### 1976

    1st Druivencross Overijse
    3rd National CX Championships

#### 1977

    3rd UCI World CX Championships
    3rd National CX Championships

#### 1978

    1st Cyclo-cross Gavere

#### 1979

    1st Jaarmarktcross Niel