History

In 1939, the team leaders of the Legano cycling team, where Gino Bartali was the front man, saw a new talent emerging, called Fausto Coppi. From the beginning, Coppi was very assertive and self-confident, which most 'servants' would not dare to show. Bartali and Coppi were opposites in all aspects.

After Greg had helped Hinault to win the Giro d'Italia that year, he hoped that it would be his turn to go for the win at the Tour. That this hope was in vain became immediately clear from the prologue. 

Hendrik Gerardus Joseph Zoetemelk is a legendary cyclist, who is known as one of the best Dutch racing cyclists ever. However, he was nicknamed 'the eternal second' because he finished second in the Tour de France no less than six times! Finally, in 1980, he was able to put an end to this streak. 

The Belgian rider Freddy Maertens had a strong start of his career, but later on he followed a bumpy path with heavy peaks and valleys. Maertens belonged to the real top-sprinters and he also excelled in time-trials. His many victories, including two World Championships, proved that he was a great rider! 

We all experienced that Kuiper was a born cyclist in his 22-year career from 1966 to 1988. His first great achievement was in 1972, when he became Olympic Champion in Munich among the amateurs with an impressive lead throughout the race. In 1973 his cycling career took off and he won two stages: the second stage of the Tour de l'Aude and the cyclocross in Enschede.

This year it will be 50 years since the great Eddy Merckx won the Road World Cycling Championship for the second time. That's why we look back at these great victories in this blog. Eddy Merckx already surprised everyone in 1967 by taking home the rainbow jersey, but a few years later (in 1974) he was able to win this jersey again. In 1964 he also became World Champion with the amateurs.