# Roger De Vlaeminck

Roger De Vlaeminck (Flemish pronunciation:; born 24 August 1947) is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist. He was described by Rik Van Looy as "The most talented and the only real classics rider of his generation". Nicknamed "The Gypsy" because he was born into a family of traveling clothiers, he is known for exploits in the cobbled classic Paris–Roubaix race, but his performances in other "Monument" races gave him a record that few can match. His record in Paris–Roubaix earned him another nickname, "Monsieur Paris–Roubaix".

## Early life and amateur career

De Vlaeminck was born on 24 August 1947 in the East Flanders town of Eeklo, His first love was football. At the age of 16 he debuted for F.C. Eeklo. He could have made a career in the sport, however his elder brother Erik was having success as a pro cyclist and this persuaded Roger to try cycling. He raced as a junior in 1965, gaining one win, but 1966 saw 25 victories. Roger and Erik spent their winters riding cyclo-cross. In Luxembourg in 1968, Erik became world professional champion and Roger the amateur champion on the same day. Roger eventually took the professional title in 1975.
In 1968 De Vlaeminck rode the road race at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico and finished 18th.

## Professional career

De Vlaeminck turned professional at the start of the 1969 season with Flandria-Declerck and won the Omloop "Het Volk" in his first race. De Vlaeminck's career ran parallel with Eddy Merckx and he battled for ascendancy with Merckx throughout his career. De Vlaeminck rode Paris–Roubaix on 14 occasions, winning four times (1972, 1974, 1975, 1977), finished second four times, third once, fifth once, sixth once, seventh twice and abandoned only in 1980. His skills as a cyclo-cross rider made him an expert on the cobbles of northern France which the race crosses. De Vlaeminck used the early season Italian stage race Tirreno–Adriatico as training for the spring classics. He dominated the race between 1972 and 1977, winning every edition and taking 15 stages. His six victories are the most of all time and no other rider has won the race more than twice.
De Vlaeminck is one of only three riders to have won all five 'Monuments of Cycling' (i.e., Milan–San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris–Roubaix, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and the Giro di Lombardia). The other two are fellow Belgians Rik van Looy and Eddy Merckx. In total De Vlaeminck won 11 Monument races, and finished in the top ten on an additional 25 occasions. The only major one-day race he did not win was the world road race championship, his best performance was second to Dutchman Hennie Kuiper in 1975.
He rode three Tours de France, winning stage 6 in 1970 between Amiens and Valenciennes. De Vlaeminck took the points jersey in the Giro d'Italia on three occasions as well as 22 stages overall including seven stages in 1975. He took a stage win in the Vuelta a España in his final season in 1984. His career lasted 15 years and he eventually had 259 road race victories. He always kept active in cyclo-cross, resulting in 70 cyclo-cross victories and a world title in 1975. De Vlaeminck also had a few successes on track, with several podium finishes in Six-Day races and a national Madison title in 1972 alongside Patrick Sercu. This makes him the only cyclist who won a Belgian national championship in road cycling, cyclo-cross and track cycling.

### Rivalry with Merckx

In 1970, Rik Van Looy ended his career and many fans then focused on Roger De Vlaeminck as his successor. Another young rider who could succeed Van Looy was Eddy Merckx. When the professional careers of both riders had just started, De Vlaeminck always wanted to beat Merckx. He was even disappointed if someone else came in second, because then people could say he had no opposition. After racing against each other for a number of years, the two started to think differently about each other. De Vlaeminck gained respect for Merckx's performance and Merckx appreciated that his competitor always fought him with an open mind.
De Vlaeminck also believes that there were others who benefited from the competition between him and Merckx. He often restricted his competitor, but this cost so much strength that someone else took advantage of it. De Vlaeminck also says that he could have won some races if Merckx had not participated, but in other races he drove better because he never wanted to be inferior to his competitor.
Ultimately, De Vlaeminck named his son Eddy De Vlaeminck, after his competitor.

## Post-career

De Vlaeminck, who lives on a farm in Kaprijke, is still in cycling. He has been coaching cyclo-cross riders. In April 2004 he quit his job as coach to the John Saey-Deschacht team in Belgium to spend more time with his family, However he was tempted back to the sport in November 2004 as advisor to the Zimbabwe team as it prepared for the world championship in St. Wendel, Germany, at the end of January 2005.
De Vlaeminck is known for firm opinions about cycling and is often consulted by journalists. In particular, he criticizes the trend to have multiple leaders in a team. That, he says, means the best racers share important races between them. De Vlaeminck is also known for his harsh opinion of Tom Boonen, calling him unworthy of equaling his Paris–Roubaix record of 4 wins, claiming cycling is not as hard as it used to be. This led to the meme "In den tijd van Roger De Vlaeminck ..." ("in the days of Roger De Vlaeminck") where De Vlaeminck was attributed to doing all kinds of unrealistic stuff.

## Major results
### Cyclo-cross
#### 1967

    2nd National Championships

#### 1968

    1st UCI World Amateur Championships
    1st National Amateur Championships
    1st Middelkerke

#### 1969

    1st National Amateur Championships
    1st Koksijde
    2nd UCI World Amateur Championships
    2nd National Championships

#### 1970

    1st Overijse
    3rd Niel

#### 1972

    1st Koksijde
    1st Overijse

#### 1974

    1st National Championships
    1st Overijse
    2nd UCI World Championships

#### 1975

    1st UCI World Championships
    1st National Championships
    3rd Overijse

#### 1978

    1st National Championships
    1st Overijse

#### 1979

    1st Diegem
    2nd National Championships

#### 1981

    1st Diegem

### Road
#### 1966

    4th Road race, UCI World Junior Championships

#### 1967

    1st Stage 4 Amateur Tour of Belgium
    1st Stage 4 Tour de la province de Namur
    3rd Road race, National Amateur Championships
    7th Road race, UCI World Amateur Championships

#### 1968

    1st Road race, National Amateur Championships
    1st Overall Amateur Tour of Belgium
       1st Stage 8
    1st Flèche Ardennaise
    10th Overall Tour de l'Avenir
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 10a & 10b (ITT)

#### 1969

    1st Road race, National Championships
    1st Omloop Het Volk
    1st Brussels–Ingooigem
    1st Baden-Baden (with Herman Vanspringel)
    1st Stage 3 Tour of Belgium
    2nd Milan–San Remo
    2nd Gent–Wevelgem
    2nd Scheldeprijs
    2nd Omloop der Zennevallei
    2nd Grote Prijs Jef Scherens
    3rd GP Stad Vilvoorde
    3rd Züri–Metzgete
    3rd Overall Paris-Luxembourg
    3rd Wattrelos-Meulebeke
    5th Paris–Roubaix
    6th Overall Tour de Luxembourg
    6th La Flèche Wallonne
    Tour de France
       Held after Stages 7–8b
       Held after Stages 1a–5

#### 1970

    1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    1st Omloop der Beide Vlaanderen
    1st Scheldeprijs
    1st Druivenkoers Overijse
    1st Omloop van het Houtland
    Tour de France
       1st Stage 6
       Held after Stage 6
    1st Prologue (TTT) Four Days of Dunkirk
    2nd Paris–Roubaix
    2nd E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
    3rd Wattrelos-Meulebeke
    3rd GP Roeselare
    4th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 4
    5th Paris–Tours
    5th Circuit des Onze Villes
    5th Brussels–Ingooigem
    6th Coppa Agostoni
    8th Omloop Het Volk
    10th Omloop van het Zuidwesten

#### 1971

    1st Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
       1st Stage 2
    1st La Flèche Wallonne
    1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
    1st Omloop der Beide Vlaanderen
    1st Omloop van het Zuidwesten
    1st Omloop van de Westhoek
    Tour de la Nouvelle France
       1st Stage 1 & 4
    2nd Gent–Wevelgem
    3rd Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
       1st Mountains classification
       1st Prologue a & Stage 4
    3rd Brabantse Pijl
    4th Overall Tour de Suisse
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 3
    4th Circuit des Onze Villes
    4th GP Union Dortmund
    5th Herinneringsprijs Dokter Tistaert – Prijs Groot-Zottegem
    7th Paris–Roubaix
    7th Druivenkoers Overijse
    8th Road race, National Championships
    8th Giro di Lombardia
    10th Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
    Tour de France
       Held after Stages 2–6b

#### 1972

    1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Stages 4 & 5b
    1st Paris–Roubaix
    1st Milano–Torino
    1st Druivenkoers Overijse
    1st Coppa Placci
    1st Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
    1st Halse Pijl
    1st Stage 1 Giro di Sardegna
    3rd Grand Prix Pino Cerami
    4th Paris–Tours
    4th Trofeo Laigueglia
    4th Coppa Agostoni
    6th Giro di Puglia
    6th GP Montelupo
    7th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 6, 15, 18 & 19a
    7th Giro di Toscana
    7th Giro del Lazio
    8th Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
    9th Giro di Campania
    10th Sassari-Cagliari

#### 1973

    1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Mountains classification
       1st Stage 5a
    1st Milan–San Remo
    1st Giro di Toscana
    1st Trofeo Matteotti
    1st Circuit de l'Aulne
    1st Omloop van het Zuidwesten
    1st Grand Prix de Monaco
    Giro d'Italia
       1st Stages 2, 11 & 13
       Held after Stages 15–17
    2nd Giro di Lombardia
    2nd Paris–Tours
    2nd Coppa Bernocchi
    2nd Coppa Sabatini
    2nd Omloop Het Volk
    2nd Trofeo Laigueglia
    2nd Omloop der Zennevallei
    3rd Omloop van de Westhoek
    3rd Milano–Torino
    4th Road race, National Championships
    4th Coppa Placci
    6th Overall Giro di Sardegna
       1st Stage 3 & 6
    6th Coppa Placci
    7th Paris–Roubaix
    8th Brabantse Pijl
    8th GP Union Dortmund
    10th Gran Premio Città di Camaiore

#### 1974

    1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Stage 5
    1st Overall Giro di Sicilia
    1st Paris–Roubaix
    1st Giro di Lombardia
    1st Druivenkoers Overijse
    1st Giro del Veneto
    1st Milano–Torino
    1st Coppa Placci
    Giro d'Italia
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 4
    1st Stage 2 Giro di Puglia
    2nd La Flèche Wallonne
    2nd Giro dell'Emilia
    2nd Ronde van Limburg
    2nd Paris–Brussels
    2nd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    2nd GP Montelupo
    3rd Milan–San Remo
    3rd Gent–Wevelgem
    3rd Circuit de l'Aulne
    3rd Coppa Agostoni
    3rd Grand Prix de Wallonie
    3rd Gran Premio di Lugano
    3rd Trofeo Baracchi (with Eddy Merckx)
    4th Giro del Lazio
    4th Trofeo Matteotti
    4th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
    7th Paris–Tours
    7th Critérium des As
    8th Road race, National Championships
    8th Giro di Campania
    9th Sassari-Cagliari

#### 1975

    1st Overall Tour de Suisse
       1st Points classification
       1st Prologue & Stages 1, 3, 5, 9a & 9b (ITT)
    1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Stages 2a, 4 & 5 (ITT)
    1st Paris–Roubaix
    1st Züri–Metzgete
    1st Coppa Agostoni
    1st GP Montelupo
    1st Giro del Lazio
    1st Trofeo Pantalica
    1st Critérium des As
    1st GP Industria & Artigianato di Larciano
    1st Heusden Koers
    2nd Road race, UCI World Championships
    2nd Grote Prijs Marcel Kint
    3rd Paris–Tours
    3rd Milano–Torino
    3rd Druivenkoers Overijse
    3rd Trofeo Laigueglia
    3rd Giro di Toscana
    4th Road race, National Championships
    4th Overall Giro d'Italia
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 4, 6, 7b, 10, 11, 18 & 20
    4th Giro di Lombardia
    4th Scheldeprijs
    4th Omloop Het Volk
    6th Omloop van de Westhoek
    5th Overall À travers Lausanne
    5th Tre Valli Varesine
    7th Giro dell'Emilia
    8th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    9th La Flèche Wallonne
    10th Overall Giro di Sardegna
       1st Stages 1, 4 & 5b

#### 1976

    1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 3, 4 & 5b (ITT)
    1st Overall Giro di Sardegna
       1st Stages 1b & 5
    1st Giro di Lombardia
    1st Giro dell'Emilia
    1st Giro del Lazio
    1st Coppa Agostoni
    1st GP Montelupo
    1st Sassari-Cagliari
    Giro d'Italia
       1st Stages 2, 5, 8 & 16
       Held after Stages 2 & 4–5
       Held after Stages 4–19
    1st Stage 3 Giro di Puglia
    2nd Overall Tour de Romandie
       1st Points classification
       1st Stage 5a
    2nd Scheldeprijs
    2nd Tre Valli Varesine
    2nd Züri–Metzgete
    2nd Trofeo Pantalica
    2nd Giro delle Marche
    3rd Paris–Roubaix
    3rd Rund um den Henninger Turm
    3rd Giro di Campania
    4th Tour of Flanders
    5th Overall Volta a Catalunya
       1st Points classification
       1st Prologue & Stages 2 & 4a
    5th Coppa Placci
    6th Gent–Wevelgem
    6th E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
    7th Gran Premio Industria e Commercio di Prato
    8th Milan–San Remo
    8th Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria

#### 1977

    1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Stages 2 & 3
    1st Paris–Roubaix
    1st Tour of Flanders
    1st Giro del Piemonte
    2nd Milan–San Remo
    2nd Giro del Veneto
    2nd Giro di Toscana
    4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    4th Paris–Tours
    4th Paris–Brussels
    4th Critérium des As
    5th Overall Giro di Sardegna
    6th Amstel Gold Race
    6th Coppa Bernocchi
    8th Omloop Het Volk
    7th Tre Valli Varesine
    10th La Flèche Wallonne

#### 1978

    1st Milan–San Remo
    1st Druivenkoers Overijse
    1st Giro del Friuli
    1st Sassari-Cagliari
    Giro di Sardegna
       1st Points classification
       1st Stages 1 & 5
    1st Stage 4 Giro di Puglia
    2nd Paris–Roubaix
    2nd Circuit de l'Aulne
    3rd Giro del Lazio
    4th Brussels–Ingooigem
    5th Coppa Agostoni
    6th Gent–Wevelgem
    7th Overall Tour de l'Aude
    8th Brabantse Pijl
    8th Züri–Metzgete
    9th Rund um den Henninger Turm
    10th Road race, UCI World Championships
    10th Tour of Flanders
    Giro d'Italia
       Held after Stages 7, 9 & 11b

#### 1979

    1st Overall Giro di Puglia
       1st Stages 1, 2 & 3
    1st Milan–San Remo
    1st Omloop Het Volk
    1st Milano–Vignola
    1st Erpe-Mere
    1st Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli
    Giro d'Italia
       1st Stages 2, 9 & 12
       Held after Stages 11 & 12
    Four Days of Dunkirk
       1st Stages 4a & 5b
    2nd Paris–Roubaix
    2nd Gent–Wevelgem
    2nd Giro del Friuli
    3rd Overall Giro del Trentino
       1st Stage 1
    3rd Tre Valli Varesine
    4th Züri–Metzgete
    4th Trofeo Matteotti
    4th Druivenkoers Overijse
    4th Rund um den Henninger Turm
    5th Trofeo Laigueglia
    6th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Stage 5a
    7th Coppa Agostoni
    10th Road race, UCI World Championships

#### 1980

    1st Overall Vuelta a Mallorca
       1st Prologue & Stages 1 & 4
    1st Trofeo Laigueglia
    1st Profronde van Stiphout
    1st Heusden Koers
    Tirreno–Adriatico
       1st Stages 1 & 2
    Deutschland Tour
       1st Stages 1 & 2
    1st Stage 1 Four Days of Dunkirk
    4th Overall Giro di Sardegna
       1st Stages 1, 2a, 4 & 5
    4th Tour of Flanders
    5th Milan–San Remo
    5th Omloop Het Volk
    5th Coppa Bernocchi
    6th Grote Scheldeprijs
    6th Coppa Agostoni
    6th Herinneringsprijs Dokter Tistaert – Prijs Groot-Zottegem
    7th Road race, UCI World Championships

#### 1981

    1st Road race, National Championships
    1st Paris–Brussels
    1st Brabantse Pijl
    1st Profronde van Stiphout
    1st Omloop van de Grensstreek
    Tour de Suisse
       1st Stages 2 & 3a
    Paris–Nice
       1st Stages 2a & 4
    2nd Milan–San Remo
    2nd Paris–Roubaix
    2nd Gent–Wevelgem
    2nd Amstel Gold Race
    3rd Trofeo Laigueglia
    4th E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
    5th Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne
    6th Tour of Flanders
    6th Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
    6th Herinneringsprijs Dokter Tistaert – Prijs Groot-Zottegem
    7th Grand Prix de Fourmies
    10th Druivenkoers Overijse

#### 1982

    2nd E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
    6th Paris–Roubaix
    7th Overall Three Days of De Panne
    7th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    7th Trofeo Laigueglia

#### 1983

    2nd GP Dr. Eugeen Roggeman

#### 1984

    1st Giro di Campania
    1st Stage 8 Vuelta a España
    1st Stage 5 Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
    3rd Milano–Torino
    3rd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria
    5th Grand Prix of Aargau Canton

### Grand Tour general classification results timeline

| Grand Tour | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 |
| Vuelta a España | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | DNF |
| Giro d'Italia | — | — | — | 7 | 11 | 11 | 4 | DNF | DNF | DNF | DNF | — | — | — | — | DNF |
| Tour de France | DNF | DNF | DNF | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |

### Classics results timeline

| Monument | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 |
| Milan–San Remo | 2 | — | — | 12 | 1 | 3 | 31 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 13 | — | — |
| Tour of Flanders | — | 13 | 17 | — | — | 29 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 25 | — | — |
| Paris–Roubaix | 5 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | DNF | 2 | 6 | — | — |
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | 22 | 1 | — | — | — | 11 | 8 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — |
| Giro di Lombardia | — | — | 8 | — | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 15 | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Classic | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 |
| Amstel Gold Race | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Gent–Wevelgem | 2 | 12 | 2 | 16 | — | 3 | — | 6 | — | 6 | 2 | 39 | 2 | 22 | — | — |
| La Flèche Wallonne | 6 | 15 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 9 | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Championship of Zürich | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 8 | 4 | — | — | — | — |
| Paris–Brussels | Not held | Not held | Not held | Not held | 13 | 2 | — | — | 4 | — | 12 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Paris–Tours | 30 | 5 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 4 | — | — | — | 50 | — | — | — |

### Major championship results timeline

| | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 |
| World Championships | 14 | 11 | 46 | 12 | 31 | DNF | 2 | — | DNF | 10 | 10 | 7 | DNF | — | — | — |
| National Championships | 1 | — | 8 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 4 | — | — | 17 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |

### Track
#### 1970

    2nd Six Days of Ghent (with Peter Post)

#### 1971

    1st Six Days of Ghent (with Patrick Sercu)
    2nd Six Days of Brussels (with Patrick Sercu)

#### 1972

    1st Madison, National Championships (with Patrick Sercu)

#### 1979

    2nd Six Days of Antwerp (with Patrick Sercu and Rik Van Linden)

#### 1980

    1st Six Days of Antwerp (with René Pijnen and Wilfried Peffgen)
    2nd Six Days of Milan (with Alfons De Wolf)

#### 1982

    1st Six Days of Antwerp (with Patrick Sercu)
    3rd Six Days of Ghent (with Patrick Sercu)

### Records

* Most Tirreno–Adriatico wins: 6 in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977.
* Most Paris–Roubaix wins: 4 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1977 (record shared with Tom Boonen).
* Most Druivenkoers Overijse wins: 4 1970, 1972, 1974 and 1978 (record shared with Björn Leukemans).
* The only professional who won a national championship in road cycling (1969, 1981), cyclo-cross (1974, 1975, 1978) and track cycling (1972).

## Awards and honours

* Mendrisio d'Or: 1975
* Winner of 7 of the 8 Classic cycle races (shared with Eddy Merckx). Rik van Looy won all 8.
* Union Cycliste Internationale Hall of Fame: 2002
* UCI Top 100: 19th place
* Procyclingstats.com – All Time Wins Ranking: 3rd place (161 wins, shared with Mario Chipollini)
* CyclingRanking – Overall ranking: 8th place