Eddy Merckx and mourn the passing of Rik Van Looy: "It is always a shock when someone you know passes away"
Cycling
The cycling world bid farewell to one of its greatest icons,
Rik Van Looy, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 90. A true legend
of the sport, Van Looy's illustrious career included seven stage wins at the
Tour de France, twelve at the Giro d’Italia, and an incredible eighteen at the
Vuelta a Espana.
Van Looy’s legacy and influence on Belgian cycling are
unparalleled, and tributes have poured in from some of the biggest names in the
sport. Eddy Merckx, widely regarded as the greatest cyclist in history, spoke
of Van Looy’s legacy with admiration, "He is one of the best Belgian
riders ever. He was a great champion and a great opponent," Merckx said in
the Gazet van Antwerpen. "His willpower and his will to win are
things that will always stay with me."
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Roger De Vlaeminck, another legendary Belgian cyclist,
shared his thoughts with the Belga news agency, reflecting on the inevitability
of loss. “We all have to die, but it is always a shock when someone you know
passes away,” said the 77-year-old De Vlaeminck. “Rik Van Looy was fourteen
years older than me. He would soon be 91.”
Tom Boonen, who has often spoken of his admiration for Van
Looy, recalled a recent memory of the great champion. “I had no idea that he
wasn’t doing so well anymore. Last year I went out for dinner with him for his
90th birthday. That was a super fun evening, he was still 100% sane. Anyone at
that age would sign for that.”
Read also
Rik Van Looy was a pioneer of Belgian, inspiring generations
of riders with his skill, endurance, and relentless pursuit of victory. His
contributions to the sport and his larger-than-life presence will never be
forgotten, and the cycling world mourns his loss while celebrating the
incredible legacy he leaves behind.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
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- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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