Belgian died at the age of 90 Rick van Looyone of the Cycling legends of the last century. In the 1950s and 1960s he became the first to conquer all five Monument Classics, as well as triumphing in two World Championships. Among his successes also one Milan-Sanremo. He was nicknamed “Rik II” or “The Emperor of Herentals“Cycling has lost one of its great champions. At the age of 90, Rik van Looy, a Belgian rider who was among the greatest of the last century, passed away at the age of 90. (Sky Sport)
On other newspapers
– For just two days he didn’t have time to celebrate his first 91 years of life: Rick Van Looy he passed away in the morning after a short illness in his Herentalsa place of which he had been ‘awarded’ the Platonic title of ‘Emperor’, and he did so leaving a very deep mark in the history of cycling on both road and track. (Sports Daily)
The career of Rick Van Looy Rik Van Looy, one of the strongest classics riders of all time, died this morning. The news comes from his native Belgium, where he was much loved. The day after tomorrow he would have turned 91. (Cicloweb.it)
He was head of the legendary Red Guard, made up of his Faema followers, who were always – or almost always, as we will see – faithful to him. Belgium has lost one of its cycling icons: two World Championships, 8 monument Classics (all, at least once, one of only three to do so with Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck), 39 stage victories in the three Grand Tours (18 at Vuelta, 12th in the Giro and 9th in the Tour) and an immense personality. (the Republic)
With two world titles and a list of successes, he was one of the absolute protagonists of one-day racing. Rick Van Looyone of the greatest cyclists in history, has died at the age of 90. (ilmessaggero.it)
Nicknamed “The Emperor of Herentals”, due to his Flemish origins and the role he assumed in the group, professional from 1954 to 1970, he was the dominator of road racing for over a decade. (Il Fatto Quotidiano)
Twice world champion among road professionals, in 1960 and 1961, he won, as mentioned, all the Monuments, a record shared with his compatriots Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck, winning three Paris-Roubaix, one Milan-Sanremotwo Tours of Flanders, a Tour of Lombardy and a Liège-Bastogne-Liège. (OA Sport)
