Belgian cyclist
Freddy Maertens![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Freddy_Maertens_1978.jpg/220px-Freddy_Maertens_1978.jpg) |
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Full name | Freddy Maertens |
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Born | (1952-02-13) 13 February 1952 (age 72) Nieuwpoort, Belgium |
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Current team | Retired |
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Discipline | Road |
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Role | Rider |
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Rider type | All-rounder |
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1973–1979 | Flandria–Carpenter–Shimano |
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1980 | San Giacomo–Benotto |
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1981–1982 | Boule d'Or–Sunair |
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1983 | Masta–Concorde |
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1984 | Splendor–Jacky Aernoudt Meubelen |
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1984 | AVP–Viditel |
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1985 | Nikon–Van Schilt |
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1985 | Eurosoap–Crack |
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1986 | Robland–La Claire Fontaine |
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Grand Tours
- Tour de France
- Points classification (1976, 1978, 1981)
- 16 individual stages (1976, 1978, 1981)
- Giro d'Italia
- 7 individual stages (1977)
- Vuelta a España
- General classification (1977)
- Points classification (1977)
- 13 individual stages (1977)
Stage races
- Four Days of Dunkirk (1973, 1975, 1976, 1978)
- Paris–Nice (1977)
- Volta a Catalunya (1977)
One-day races and Classics
- World Road Race Championships (1976, 1981)
- National Road Race Championships (1976)
- Gent–Wevelgem (1975, 1976)
- Amstel Gold Race (1976)
- Scheldeprijs (1973)
- Paris–Tours (1975)
- Omloop Het Volk (1977, 1978)
- E3 Prijs Vlaanderen (1978)
Other
- Super Prestige Pernod International (1975–1976)
- Ruban Jaune (1975–1997)
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Freddy Maertens (born 13 February 1952) is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist who was twice world road race champion.[1] His career coincided with the best years of another Belgian rider, Eddy Merckx, and supporters and reporters were split over who was better.[2] Maertens' career swung between winning more than 50 races in a season to winning almost none and then back again. His life has been marked by debt and alcoholism.[2] It took him more than two decades to pay a tax debt.[2] At one point early in his career, between the 1976 Tour and 1977 Giro, Maertens won 28 out of 60 Grand Tour stages that he entered before abandoning the Giro due to injury on stage 8b. Eight Tour stage wins, thirteen Vuelta stage wins and seven Giro stage wins in less than one calendar year.[3]