
Henri (“Rik”) Van Looy (born 20 December 1933 in Grobbendonk) is a Belgian former professional cyclist of the post-war period, nicknamed the King of the Classics or Emperor of Herentals (after the small Belgian town where he lived), and Rik II (Rik Van Steenbergen was the Rik I). He was twice world professional road race champion, and was the first cyclist to win all five ‘Monuments’: the most prestigious one-day classics – a feat since achieved by just two others (both also Belgians: Roger De Vlaeminck and Eddy Merckx). With 379 road victories he’s second to Eddy Merckx only. He is ninth on the all-time list of Grand Tour stage winners with thirty-seven victories.
M. Özgür Nevres
I am a software developer, a former road racing cyclist (at the amateur level) and a science enthusiast. Also an animal lover! I write about cycling on this website, cycling-passion.com. You can check out my social media profiles by clicking on their icons.
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