Briek Schotte

Briek Schotte
Briek Schotte after winning the first stage of Dwars door België 1946 (collection: KOERS Museum)
Personal information
Full nameAlberic Schotte
NicknameBriek
Born(1919-09-07)7 September 1919
Kanegem, Belgium
Died4 April 2004(2004-04-04) (aged 84)
Team information
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Professional teams
1939Mercier
1940–1941Mercier / Groene Leeuw
1942Mercier / Thompson
1943Europe-Dunlop / Thompson
1944Helyett / Trialoux–Wolber
1945–1948Alcyon / Groene Leeuw
1949Alcyon
1950–1951Alcyon / Girardengo-Ursus
1952–1955Alcyon
1956Alcyon / Faema
1957Peugeot
1958Libertas
1959Libertas / Flandria
Major wins
Grand Tours
Tour de France
1 individual stage (1947)

One-day races and Classics

World Road Race Championships (1948, 1950)
Tour of Flanders (1942, 1948)
Gent–Wevelgem (1950, 1955)
Paris–Tours (1946, 1947)
Dwars door België (1953, 1955)
Paris-Brussels (1952)
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen (1941, 1954)
Omloop der Vlaamse Gewesten (1946)

Other

Challenge Desgrange-Colombo (1948)
Medal record
Representing  Belgium
Men's road bicycle racing
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1948 Valkenburg Elite road race
Gold medal – first place 1950 Moerslede Elite road race
Briek Schotte wins Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 1941 (Museum of Cycle Racing)

Alberic "Briek" Schotte (born Kanegem, West Flanders, 7 September 1919 – died Kortrijk, 4 April 2004) was a Belgian professional road racing cyclist, one of the champions of the 1940s and 1950s. His stamina earned him the nickname "Iron Briek" (IJzeren Briek).[1]

He was world champion in 1948 and 1950, won the last stage of the 1947 Tour de France and finished second in the 1948 Tour, behind Gino Bartali.[2] He twice won the Tour of Flanders (1942, 1948), Paris–Tours (1946, 1947) and Paris–Brussels (1946, 1952). He also won the inaugural Challenge Desgrange-Colombo, a season-long competition to identify the world's best road rider, in 1948. He holds the record with twenty consecutive participations in the Tour of Flanders and in addition to his two victories made the podium on six other occasions.[3] Schotte corresponded to the archetype of the Flandrien, the diligent farm boy who competes against better equipped and guided riders from France and Italy. Although he himself put that into perspective: "Because of my position on the bike, I gave the impression that I was suffering more than was actually the case".[4]

After retirement in 1959, he was a team coach for 30 years, mostly for Flandria where he also served as Directeur Sportif for many years. Riders such as Rik Van Looy, Herman Van Springel, Freddy Maertens, Eddy Merckx, Sean Kelly, Joop Zoetemelk, Michel Pollentier, Walter Godefroot and Roger De Vlaeminck rode for Schotte at various points during their respective careers. None of these riders would win the Tour de France while riding for Flandria, however Zoetemelk would finish 2nd in 1970 and 1971 while riding under Schotte's direction.[5]

He died on the day of the 2004 Tour of Flanders. The commentators during the race said "God must have been one of Briek's greatest fans".

  1. ^ "Palmarès d'Albéric "Brik" Schotte (Bel)". Mémoire du Cyclisme.
  2. ^ "Alberic Schotte". FirstCycling.com. 2022.
  3. ^ "Briek Schotte". procyclingstats.com. 10 October 2021. Archived from the original on 30 November 2017.
  4. ^ "Het archief van wielrenner Briek Schotte". archiefpunt.be (in Dutch). 25 June 2006.
  5. ^ "Heroes: Joop Zoetemelk". Flandria Bikes. 22 February 2022. Archived from the original on 22 December 2010.

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