Evenepoel ended a 44-year drought for Belgian cycling in Grand Tours

No one doubts the class and category of Belgian cycling and the great riders it has had throughout its history and continues to experience today, but victory in the three-week Grand Tour has eluded them in recent years. year, until this Sunday, at 22 years old, Remco Evenepoel duly conquered the 77th edition of the Spanish round, in his first presence in the race and in his second grand tour after last year’s failed experiment in Italy is spinning.

The last Belgian rider to win the Vuelta was Freddy Maertens in 1977, and since then no other Belgian rider has climbed to the top of the podium of the Spanish round, and in fact, at the international level, the last Belgian winner after 21 days of competition was Johan de Muynck at the Giro d’Italia in 1978. From then until this Sunday, Belgian cycling’s drought in grand tours lasted.

Naa Lapthe last podium finish for a Belgian rider was Johan Bruyneel (3rd in 1995), and new Michel Pollentier (2nd in 1982 and 3rd in 1979) and Claude Criquielion (3rd) in 1980.

There was an even bigger drought in the Giro d’Italia, where the last victory was Johan de Muynck in 1978 and with a third place of Thomas de Gendt andin the year 2012, with Belgian cycling second in the ranking with 161 stage victories compared to 1,283 for Italian cycling.

And it’s on Tour, Lucien van Impé won in 1976, was 3rd in 1977 and 2nd in 1981. A drought that has lasted since then, which does not mean that Belgium occupies second place in the list of countries in big bouclewith 18 wins.

The last Belgian to win a Grand Tour

Vuelta’2022: Evenepoel
Giro’1978: De Muynck
Giro’1977: Pollenier
Lap’1977: Maertens
Tour’1976: Van Impe
Tour’1974: Merckx
Giro’1974: Merckx
Giro’1973: Merckx
Back’1973: Merckx