Belgian cycling biography

Ernest Sterckx (1 December 1922 – 3 February 1975) was a Belgian professional racing cyclist. He won the 1946 Gent-Wevelgem and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 1952, 1953 and 1956.In 2023, a statue of him was erected in Heultje, Belgium.

Willy Vanden Berghen (3 July 1939 – 30 March 2022) was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. In 1960 he won two bronze medals in the road race, one at the amateur world championships and the other at the Olympic Games.

Michel Vaarten (born 17 January 1957) is a retired track cyclist and road bicycle racer from Belgium. He represented Belgium at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where he won silver medal in the 1.000m time trial behind East Germany's Klaus-Jürgen Grünke. Vaarten was a professional from 1979 to 1992. He won 12 national titles, one European title and one world title, mainly in track cycling. Vaarten is currently piloting a Derny bike in many Six Day Cycling events around Europe.
After his competitive career, he served as a pacemaker.

Leo Sterckx (16 July 1936 – 4 March 2023) was a Belgian cyclist. He competed for Belgium at the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy in the individual sprint event where he finished in second place.Sterckx died on 4 March 2023, at the age of 86.

Pierre Nihant (5 April 1925 – 12 January 1993) was a Belgian cyclist. He was born in Trembleur (part of Blegny), in the Province of Liège. He won a silver medal in the 1000m time trial at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.

Cédric Mathy (born 2 February 1970) is a Belgian former cyclist. He competed for Belgium in the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, Spain in the points race event where he won the bronze medal.

Robert Grondelaers (28 February 1933 – 22 August 1989) was a road cyclist from Belgium. He won the silver medal in the men's individual road race at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. At the same tournament he claimed the title in the men's team road race, alongside André Noyelle and Lucien Victor. He was a professional rider from 1954 to 1962.

Henry George (18 February 1891 – 6 January 1976) was a Belgian track cycling racer who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.During the First World War, Henry George served in the Belgian army and was part of the Belgian Expeditionary Corps in Russia, fighting on the Eastern Front along with Imperial Russian forces.In 1920 George won the gold medal in the 50 kilometres competition.

Edgard De Caluwé (1 July 1913 in Denderwindeke – 16 May 1985 in Geraardsbergen) was a Belgian cyclist.
He had twenty victories as a professional from 1933 to 1947. He won the Paris-Brussels and Bordeaux-Paris in 1935. He finished second in the Tour of Flanders in 1936 and won it in 1938. He had already won the Tour of Flanders in 1933, but as an independent.
His career was interrupted by World War II. He also won some victories after the war, but his best years were before it.
He also participated in the Tour de France twice, without much success.
The Grote Prijs Beeckman-De Caluwé in Ninove has been named after him.

Marcel Janssens (30 December 1931, in Edegem – 29 July 1992, in Nukerke) was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. Janssens won two stages in the Tour de France, and finished 2nd place in 1957 after Jacques Anquetil. He also won the 1960 edition of Bordeaux–Paris. He finished third place in the 1959 Paris–Roubaix.