Rik van Looy, the “Emperor of Herentals” who won all the Monuments and 2 world championships, has died: cycling in mourning

Rik van Looy passed away at the age of 90 amid the affection of his family who announced his passing between Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th December. Authentic icon of Belgian cycling, the “Emperor of Herentals” established himself on the international front between the 50s and 60s by conquering all five Monuments (3 times the Roubaix), as well as an infinite number of stages in the three great Tours . He also won two World titles, losing the third only due to the “betrayal” of one of his followers who forced him to win silver.

Rick van Looy he is no longer with us, he passed away in the night between Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th December in his home, among the love of his family and closest friends. THE’“Emperor of Herentals” he would have turned 91 on December 20th. The family announced it in a note: “He passed away peacefully, on the birthday of his wife Nini, who died in January 2021, in the presence of his family after a short illness”. Authentic cycling legend, together with Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck he won all Five Monuments at least once. But it still is the only one who managed to win all 8 original classics (5 monuments + Walloon Arrow, Paris-Brussels and Paris-Tours).

Van Looy the only one to have won all 8 Classics

Rik van Looy was one of the greatest athletes of all time in international cycling. Born in Belgium in 1933, he marked memorable pages of this sport between the 1950s and 1960s, becoming legend by right. He closed his professional adventure with 367 victories, confirming himself as one of the best riders of his generation, starting as leader in his first team, Faema and then confirming himself in Flandria. The list of his victories is impressive: he won Paris-Roubaix three times, the Tour of Flanders twice and Liège-Bastogne-Liège once, Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Lombardy. A record shared with two other legends, Merckx and De Vlaeminck who, however, never managed to impose themselves in the Paris-Tours. Not like van Looy who is the only one to date to have managed to win all 8 original classics: the 5 Monument plus Walloon Arrow, Paris-Brussels and Paris-Tours.

The two victories at the World Cup and the 1963 mockery in Ronse

A complete cyclist, sprinter by nature, climber by passion, he imposed himself in the sprint as well as in the Mountain Grand Prix with extreme ease, also triumphing in 37 stages of the Grand Tours, of which 18 in the Vuelta, 12 in the Giro and 7 in the Tour. After a bronze and a silver in 1960 he graduated World Champion at Sachsenring and then repeating himself the following year in Bern. He tried again later, looking for a hat trick, but was unable to repeat himself, only taking a world championship silver in Ronse, in 1963 at the age of 30, “betrayed” by his wingman, Benoni Beheyt.

Pozzovivo fined during training on Lake Como with Ulissi: he pedaled in double file

Rik van Looy in action wearing the rainbow jersey of world champion

Why Rik van Looy is remembered as the “Emperor of Herentals”

Van Looy decided to leave Faema when a certain Eddie Merckx joined the team and gradually stole the captaincy from him. He continued his career at Flandria, then in other less competitive teams until his farewell to cycling in 1970. But he never left the world of cycling: he was sports director of some Belgian professional teams and in his home country he directly contributed to the development of the ” Vlaamse Wielerschool” the Flemish cycling school for young talents in Herentals, a city of which he is also an honorary citizen and to which he owes his nickname, “The Emperor of Herentals”.