Farewell to a Cycling legend: Rik Van Looy, the Emperor of Herentals, passes away at the age of 90. In truth, Van Looy would have turned 91 next Friday. The world of international cycling loses a mythical figure, an absolute protagonist who wrote unforgettable pages of this sport. Rik Van Looy, nicknamed “the Emperor of Herentals” for his running authority and his Flemish origins, has passed away at the age of 90.
Van Looy was one of the greatest riders ever, capable of marking an era between the 50s and 60s, becoming the first cyclist in history to conquer all five Monument Classics, as well as being the only one to win all eight of the great classics of the era.
Cycling loses one of its legends. Rik Van Looy was one of the best racers of all time. Active between the 50s and 60s, he was the greatest Belgian champion until the advent of Eddy Merckx. Professional from 1954 to 1970, he dominated road racing for over a decade. Twice world champion among road professionals, in 1960 and 1961, he also won all five monument classics, a record shared with his compatriots Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck, winning three Paris-Roubaix, one Milan-Sanremo, two Tours of Flanders, a Tour of Lombardy and a Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Van Looy is also the only cyclist who managed to win all 8 original classics (5 monuments besides the Walloon Arrow, Paris-Brussels and Paris-Tours). In fact, both Merckx and De Vlaeminck have never won the Paris-Tours.
