René De Rey

René De Rey (22 June 1931 – 28 November 2024) was a Belgian cyclo-cross cyclists.

De Rey became Belgian National Cyclo-cross Champion in 1957 and 1959. He represented Belgium five times at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. He won in total 40 cyclo-cross races during his career.

Biography
René started as a cross-country runner. Due to the popularity of cyclo-cross cycling he switched to cyclo-cross.

At the Belgian National Cyclo-cross Championships he became national champion, as an amateur, in Budingen in 1957 ahead of Georges Furnière. Two years later in Hoeselt in 1959, he became again national champion as an amateur, winning ahead of Firmin Van Kerrebroeck. At the national championships he won the silver medal in 1964 (behind Roger De Clercq) and 1966 (behind Albert Van Damme).

He represented Belgium five times at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. His best achievement was the fifth place in Edelare in 1957.

In 1958 De Rey won 16 cross-country races. De Rey started competing in the independent class from 1961. He was a professional cyclist from 1966 to 1970. De Rey made cyclo-cross cycling very popular in the region of Mechelen.

In 2020, a cycling race was named after him.

De Rey celebrated in 2019 his diamond wedding anniversary with his for years younger wife Roza Beullens. He died in Mechelen on 28 November 2024, at the age of 93 years old.

References

Category:Belgian cyclists
Category:1931 births
Category:2024 deaths
Category:People from Flemish Brabant