CYCLIST

Rik Van Looy

1933 - 2024

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Henri "Rik" Van Looy (20 December 1933 – 17 December 2024) was a Belgian professional cyclist of the post-war period. Nicknamed the King of the Classics or Emperor of Herentals (after the small Belgian city where he lived), he dominated the classic cycle races in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Van Looy was twice world professional road race champion, and was the first cyclist to win all five 'Monuments': the most prestigious one-day classics – a feat since achieved by just two others (both also Belgians: Roger De Vlaeminck and Eddy Merckx). With 367 professional road victories, he ranks second all-time behind Eddy Merckx. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Rik Van Looy is the 4th most popular cyclist (up from 16th in 2019), the 97th most popular biography from Belgium (up from 203rd in 2019) and the 2nd most popular Belgian Cyclist.

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Among CYCLISTS

Among cyclists, Rik Van Looy ranks 4 out of 1,613. Before him are Eddy Merckx, Fausto Coppi, and Jacques Anquetil. After him are Maurice Garin, Gino Bartali, Raymond Poulidor, Bernard Hinault, Roger De Vlaeminck, Miguel Induráin, Tom Simpson, and Lucien Petit-Breton.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1933, Rik Van Looy ranks 45. Before him are Robert Curl, Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Jerry Falwell, Costa-Gavras, Joan Collins, and Ilia II of Georgia. After him are Bernardo Provenzano, Samora Machel, John Hopfield, Gian Maria Volonté, Gene Wilder, and Lee Radziwill. Among people deceased in 2024, Rik Van Looy ranks 49. Before him are Tsung-Dao Lee, Melanie, Frank Farian, Roberto Cavalli, Sebastián Piñera, and César Luis Menotti. After him are Robin Warren, Ismail Haniyeh, Niklaus Wirth, Shelley Duvall, Kris Kristofferson, and Gena Rowlands.

Others Born in 1933

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In Belgium

Among people born in Belgium, Rik Van Looy ranks 97 out of 1,190. Before him are Morris (1923), Hubert van Eyck (1366), Matilda of Flanders (1031), Princess Louise of Belgium (1858), Jacques Piccard (1922), and Philippe de Champaigne (1602). After him are Margaret III, Countess of Flanders (1350), Marie José of Belgium (1906), Henry VI, Count of Luxembourg (1240), Paul Delvaux (1897), Gilles Binchois (1400), and Joachim Patinir (1480).

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Among CYCLISTS In Belgium

Among cyclists born in Belgium, Rik Van Looy ranks 2. Before him are Eddy Merckx (1945). After him are Roger De Vlaeminck (1947), Philippe Thys (1889), Rik Van Steenbergen (1924), Lucien Van Impe (1946), Patrick Sercu (1944), Firmin Lambot (1886), Odile Defraye (1888), Léon Scieur (1888), Walter Godefroot (1943), and Sylvère Maes (1909).

Belgian born Cyclists

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