Flemish Cycling Heads: 150 Years of Drama and Heroism

Flanders is cycling, cycling is Flanders. But why is Flanders so crazy about cycling? From the introduction of the bicycle in our region to the current state of cycling: this book searches for the roots of Flanders as a cycling country. Did you know that the first bicycles had wooden wheels and weighed up to 40 kilos? And that cyclo-cross originated during military exercises? The Belgian Cycling Federation was opposed to the use of a gear system until after the Second World War and the term 'criterium' comes from equestrian sports. These and many other facts are interspersed with portraits of 35 famous cycling figures: riders, journalists and policy makers. From Cyrille Van Hauwaert, Briek Schotte, Rik Van Looy, Eddy Merckx, Johan Museeuw to Tom Boonen. Drama and heroism form the common thread through these cycling stories. Read about wonderful victories, unforgettable cycling moments and champions, but also about humiliating defeats, injuries and painful doping scandals.