Rik Van Looy, the cyclist, dies at the age of 90. The Emperor of Herentals won two World Championships and all the Classics

Rick Van Looyone of the greatest cyclists in history, has died at the age of 90. The first rider to win all five monument classics, a feat later matched only by Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck, Van Looy was known as “The Emperor of Herentals”, a nickname that reflected the respect and admiration of the Belgian public for his talent. With two world titles and a list of successes, he was one of the absolute protagonists of one-day racing.
The news of his passing was reported by the Belgian media and follows the loss of his wife by a few years, which occurred in 2021 after a long illness, and a few days after the bike accident involving Eddy Merckx. Until yesterday, Van Looy was the oldest cycling world champion still alive, a symbol of longevity and greatness.

Born December 20, 1933 in Grobbendonk, Belgium, Rick Van Looy it marked an era thanks to its power in the sprint and its ability to dominate both on the flat and on more demanding routes. Professional between 1953 and 1970, he was the first rider in history capable of conquering all five monument classics: Milan-Sanremo in 1958, Paris-Roubaix in 1961 and 1962, Tour of Flanders in 1959 and 1962, Liège-Bastogne- Liège in 1961 and Giro di Lombardia in 1959.

This record, unrivaled at the time, secured him a place among cycling’s elite. In the following years, he shared this record with Eddy Merckx and Roger De Vlaeminck, who make up the trio of cyclists capable of winning five career monuments.

In addition to the classics, Van Looy shone at the World Championships, winning two consecutive road titles, in 1960 and 1961. With this feat, he became the second cyclist in history to achieve this result, after Rik Van Steenbergen. His talent in one-day racing is confirmed by the triumphs obtained in many other races such as the Fleche Wallone and the Ghent-Wevelgem, where he won four times, and the Paris-Brussels, which he won on three occasions.

Although he was a specialist in one-day races, Van Looy was also able to leave his mark in the grand tours, winning a total of 37 stages between the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España. Among his achievements stand out the cyclamen jersey at the 1960 Giro d’Italia and the victory in the points classification at the 1959 Vuelta. His versatility also led him to excel on the track, where he dominated several six-day competitions, confirming himself as a complete athlete capable of adapting to any type of race.