Why they rank here
Known as Mr. Paris-Roubaix, De Vlaeminck was the supreme Classics specialist of the Merckx era, and his 11 Monument victories rank second only to Merckx himself. He won Paris-Roubaix four times, in 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1977, a feat matched only by Tom Boonen, mastering the cobbles like no one else of his generation. He added three Milan-San Remo, a Liege-Bastogne-Liege, two Il Lombardia and a Tour of Flanders, and won the 1975 cyclocross World Championship for good measure, underlining his versatility on rough terrain. With well over 250 career wins, De Vlaeminck was a rider who could sprint, endure and read a Classic perfectly, and his duels with Merckx and Freddy Maertens made Belgium the beating heart of one-day racing in the 1970s.
Career profile
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