In a previous article we discussed the history of the bicycle brand Flandria. In this article we take a closer look at the successful cycling team Flandria, which was at the top for 20 years.
Founding of the Flandria cycling team
The first Flandria cycling team was founded in 1959 after a meeting in a cafe with attendees Aimé Claeys and Leon Vandaele. In the years before, Vandaele drove for the team Faema Guerra built around leader Rik Van Looy, but was looking for another team because he got into a disagreement with the Emperor of Herentals because he had taken his own chances in some competitions, with success because Vandaele won Paris Roubaix.
Het Flandria Dr Mann team van 1959
The new team was named Flandria Dr Mann. The most important drivers were iron Briek Schotte, already 40 years in the meantime, ex Ronde Van Vlaanderen winner Roger Decock and Leon Vandaele. It was an immediate success with 44 victories in the 1st year, including Ghent Wevelgem and a stage in Paris Nice.
1962: the arrival of Rik Van Looy
In 1962 the team was expanded with the arrival of none other than the Emperor of Herentals, Rik Van Looy, who was the reason for the foundation of the team in 1959. Van Looy immediately garnered success for his team, which was then called Faema Flandria, with including victories in De Ronde Van Vlaanderen, Gent Wevelgem and Paris Roubaix.
It was also in 1962 that Flandria introduced the little train in the sprint with which they set off Van Looy 200 meters from the finish. A method that is sometimes incorrectly linked to Mario Cipollini, but therefore existed much earlier.
However, Van Looy only stayed with Flandria for 1 year due to a difference of opinion with the team, which in 1959 was still a secondary sponsor to Faema. Flandria had the idea to become the main sponsor and to keep fewer Italian riders in the team that Van Looy did not agree with.
The glory years of Flandria
The Flandria cycling team achieved its greatest successes between 1967 and 1978, thanks to such greats as Walter Godefroot, Eric Leman, Jempi Monseré, Erik and Roger De Vlaeminck, Joop Zoetemelk, Michel Pollentier, Marc Demeyer, Joachim Agostinho and Freddy Maertens. Flandria was the strongest cycling team during this period and could offer competition in both the classics and the Grand Tours.
Freddy Maertens in 1978
1977 was the top year for Flandria in particular with no fewer than 103 victories, including the Vuelta (Freddy Maertens), the Giro d'Italia (Michel Pollentier),
The collaboration with Shimano
Flandria was also synonymous with innovation, which resulted in the collaboration with Shimano in 1973. Shimano wanted to import its components in Europe and therefore wanted to sponsor the Flandria Team. It was the 1st time that a professional cycling team in Europe did not ride with Italian or French components.
3 years earlier, Flandria had also entered into a partnership with Mars, who were then looking for a way to launch their new chocolate bar in Europe. Thanks to these 2 major sponsors, Flandria got a bigger budget and more freedom to keep its top riders.
The Flandria – Mars team in 1970 with Roger and Eric De Vlaeminck at the front
Pol Claeys, the big boss of Flandria, was also not shy about advertising as much as possible. In 1974 he decided to set up 2 teams: the French Merlin – Plage – Shimano – Flandria and the Belgian Carpenter – Confortluxe – Flandria. This is much to the dismay of some competing teams boycotting Milan – Sanremo. At the end of the 1974 cycling season, the French Flandria team is therefore disbanded.
The end of the Flandria cycling team
In 1979, 20 years after the foundation of the Flandria cycling team, the once world's strongest team came to an abrupt end. Michel Pollentier had left for the Splendor – Eurosoap cycling team and Freddy Maertens was only a shadow of himself. Flandria was in bad papers and a number of riders were no longer paid. 2 years later, in 1981, Flandria filed for bankruptcy. It was immediately the end of an era.
In the 20 years that the Flandria cycling team was active, 70 classics were won, including 4 Paris Roubaix, 4 Liège – Bastogne – Liège, 1 round of Lombardy, in addition 2 Grand Tours: Giro d'Italia and Vuelta and 2 World Championships.
The only 2 races that the Flandria cycling team could never win were Milan – Sanremo and the Tour de France.
Overview of the most famous riders
- Leon Vandaele,
- Briek Schotte,
- Walter Godefroot,
- Eric Leman,
- Jempi Monseré,
- Erik en Roger De Vlaeminck,
- Joop Zoetemelk,
- Michel Pollentier,
- Marc Demeyer,
- Joachim Agostinho,
- Freddy Maertens,
- Jan Janssen,
- Herman Van Springel
- Sean Kelly
Michel Pollentier in de Belgische driekleur in 1978
Overview cycling team Flandria and sponsors
- 1959: Flandria – Dr Mann
- 1960: Wiel’s – Flandria
- 1961: Wiel’s – Flandria
- 1962: Flandria – Faema – Clément
- 1963: Faema – Flandria
- 1964: Flandria – Romeo
- 1965: Flandria – Romeo
- 1966: Flandria
- 1967: Flandria – De Clerck
- 1968: Flandria – De Clerck
- 1969: Flandria – De Clerck – Krüger
- 1970: Flandria – Mars
- 1971: Flandria – Mars
- 1972: Beaulieu – Flandria
- 1973: Flandria – Carpenter – Shimano
- 1974: Carpenter – Confortluxe – Flandria
- 1975: Carpenter – Confortluxe – Flandria
- 1976: Flandria – Velda – West Vlaams Vleesbedrijf
- 1977: Flandria – Velda – Latina assicurazioni
- 1978: Flandria – Velda – Lano
- 1979: Flandria – ça va seul – Sunair
Overview victories team Flandria
Classics
5 times Ronde van Vlaanderen
- Rik Van Looy (1962)
- Noël Foré (1963)
- Walter Godefroot (1968)
- Eric Leman (1970)
- Evert Dolman (1971)
4 times Paris Roubaix
- Rik Van Looy (1962)
- Peter Post (1964)
- Walter Godefroot (1969)
- Marc Demeyer (1976)
4 times Liege Bastogne Liege
- Jef Planckaert (1962)
- Willy Bocklant (1964)
- Walter Godefroot (1967)
- Roger De Vlaeminck (1970)
1 time Giro della Lombardia
- Jempi monseré (1969)
Other races
- 2 times Paris Tours: Guido Reybrouck (1964) and Freddy Maertens (1975)
- 4 times Gent Wevelgem: Léon Van Daele (1959), Walter Godefroot (1968), Freddy Maertens (1975 en 1976)
- 2 times Bordeaux Paris: Walter Godefroot (1969) and Herman Van Springel (1975)
- 2 times De Waalse Pijl: Roger De Vlaeminck (1971) and André Dierickx (1973)
- 2 times Paris Brussel: Marc Demeyer (1974) and Freddy Maertens (1975)
- 1 time Amstel Gold Race: Freddy Maertens (1976)
Big Tours
- Vuelta: Freddy Maertens (1977)
- Giro d’Italia: Michel Pollentier (1977)
In addition, there are still a lot of stage wins in the big tours and smaller races.
