Tour of Belgium

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The Tour of Belgium (Ronde van België/Tour de Belgique) is a four-day bicycle race which is held annually in Belgium.

It was held annually between 1908 and 1981, except during both world wars. Between 1982 and 1990 several of races were not organised and none at all during the decade 1991 to 2001. From 2002 onwards the race has again become an annual fixture on the cycling calendar.

Following the start of the UCI ProTour in 2005 it looked like the race would merge with the Eneco Tour of Benelux, however this has not happened and it is now one of the UCI Europe Tour competition.

[edit] Winners of the Tour of Belgium

No rider has managed to win the Tour of Belgium more than two times. Of the eight riders who managed to win it twice, only two have achieved consecutive wins.

Name	Country	Wins	Years
Louis Mottiat	France	2	1914,1920
Emile Masson	Belgium	2	1919,1923
René Vermandel	Belgium	2	1921,1922
Henri Van Kerckhove	Belgium	2	1952,1954
Noël Foré	Belgium	2	1958,1962
Eddy Merckx	Belgium	2	1970,1971
Roger Swerts	Belgium	2	1972,1974
Frans Maassen	Netherlands	2	1988,1990

[edit] Complete list of winners

Year Name Country 2008 Stijn Devolder  Belgium 2007 Vladimir Gusev  Russia 2006 Maarten Tjallingii  Netherlands 2005 Tom Boonen  Belgium 2004 Sylvain Chavanel  France 2003 Michael Rogers  Australia 2002 Bart Voskamp  Netherlands 2001 Race not held 1991 1990 Frans Maassen  Netherlands 1989 Sean Yates  United Kingdom 1988 Frans Maassen  Netherlands 1987 Race not held 1986 Nico Emonds  Belgium 1985 Ludo Peeters  Belgium 1984 Eddy Planckaert  Belgium 1983 Race not held 1982 1981 Ad Wijnands  Netherlands 1980 Gerrie Knetemann  Netherlands 1979 Daniel Willems  Belgium 1978 André Dierickx  Belgium 1977 Walter Planckaert  Belgium 1976 Michel Pollentier  Belgium 1975 Freddy Maertens  Belgium 1974 Roger Swerts  Belgium 1973 Leif Mortensen  Denmark 1972 Roger Swerts  Belgium

Year Name Country 1971 Eddy Merckx  Belgium 1970 Eddy Merckx  Belgium 1969 Eric De Vlaeminck  Belgium 1968 Wilfried David  Belgium 1967 Carmine Preziosi  Italy 1966 Vittorio Adorni  Italy 1965 Jean Stablinski  France 1964 Benoni Beheyt  Belgium 1963 Peter Post  Netherlands 1962 Noël Foré  Belgium 1961 Rik van Looy  Belgium 1960 Alfons Sweeck  Belgium 1959 Armand Desmet  Belgium 1958 Noël Foré  Belgium 1957 Pino Cerami  Belgium 1956 André Vlaeyen  Belgium 1955 Alex Close  Belgium 1954 Henri Van Kerckhove  Belgium 1953 Florent Rondele  Belgium 1952 Henri Van Kerckhove  Belgium 1951 Lucien Matthijs  Belgium 1950 Albert Dubiusson  Belgium 1949 Ernest Sterckx  Belgium 1948 Stan Ockers  Belgium 1947 Maurice Van Herzele  Belgium 1946 Albert Ramon  Belgium 1945 Norbert Callens  Belgium 1944 World War II 1940

Year Name Country 1939 Joseph Somers  Belgium 1938 François Neuville  Belgium 1937 Adolf Braeckeveldt  Belgium 1936 Emile Decroix  Belgium 1935 Jef Moerenhout  Belgium 1934 François Gardier  Belgium 1933 Jean Aerts  Belgium 1932 Léon Louyet  Belgium 1931 Maurice de Waele  Belgium 1930 Emile Joly  Belgium 1929 Armand Van Brueane  Belgium 1928 Jules Van Hevel  Belgium 1927 Paul Matton  Belgium 1926 Jean Debusschere  Belgium 1925 Denis Verschueren  Belgium 1924 Félix Sellier  France 1923 Emile Masson  Belgium 1922 René Vermandel  Belgium 1921 René Vermandel  Belgium 1920 Louis Mottiat  France 1919 Emile Masson  Belgium 1918 World War I 1915 1914 Louis Mottiat  France 1913 Dieudonné Gauthy  Belgium 1912 Odile Defraye  Belgium 1911 René Vandenberghe  Belgium 1910 Jules Masselis  France 1909 Paul Duboc  France 1908 Lucien Petit  France

[edit] Winners by nation

Rank	Country	Most times winner	Most Recent Winner	Wins
1	Belgium	René Vermandel, Henri Van Kerckhove, Noël Foré, Emile Masson, Eddy Merckx and Roger Swerts (2)	Stijn Devolder 2008	57
2	France	Louis Mottiat (2)	Sylvain Chavanel 2004	8
3	Netherlands	Frans Maassen (2)	Maarten Tjallingii 2006	7
4	Italy	Carmine Preziosi and Vittorio Adorni	Carmine Preziosi 1967	2
5	Australia	Michael Rogers	Michael Rogers 2003	1
	Denmark	Leif Mortensen	Leif Mortensen 1973	1
	United Kingdom	Sean Yates	Sean Yates 1989	1
	Russia	Vladimir Gusev	Vladimir Gusev 2007	1