Rik Van Steenbergen was a Belgian racing cyclist, considered to be one of the best among the great number of successful Belgian cyclists.
Constant ("Stan") Ockers was a Belgian professional racing cyclist.
Henri "Rik" Van Looy is a Belgian former professional cyclist of the post-war period, nicknamed the King of the Classics or Emperor of Herentals. 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. With 379 road victories he's second to Merckx only. He is ninth on the all-time list of Grand Tour stage winners with thirty-seven victories.
Cannondale Pro Cycling Team, previously known as Liquigas, was an Italian professional road bicycle racing team in the UCI ProTour.
Johan De Muynck is a Belgian former professional road racing cyclist who raced from 1971 to 1983. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1978 Giro d'Italia. He was an outstanding climber. Other Grand Tour highlights include a very strong performance in the closely contested 1976 Giro d'Italia where he held the Maglia Rosa until the final time trial finishing on the podium in 2nd just nineteen seconds behind Felice Gimondi. He also rode well in the 1980 and 1981 editions of the Tour de France where he finished 4th and 7th respectively. Going into the 2022 cycling season De Muynck is the last Belgian rider to win a Grand Tour.
Italo Zilioli is an Italian former professional cyclist.
The 1962 Giro d'Italia was the 45th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. The Giro started in Milan, on 19 May, with a 185 km (115.0 mi) stage and concluded back in Milan, on 9 June, with a 160 km (99.4 mi) leg. A total of 130 riders from 13 teams entered the 21-stage race, which was won by Italian Franco Balmamion of the Carpano team. The second and third places were taken by Italian riders Imerio Massignan and Nino Defilippis, respectively.
The Challenge Desgrange-Colombo was a season-long road bicycle racing competition between 1948 and 1958. There were two classifications, one for individual cyclists and another for nations.
Gilbert Desmet, nicknamed Smetje van Lichtervelde, is a former Belgian cyclist who was professional from 1952 to 1967. In the 1956 Tour de France, he wore the yellow jersey for 2 days, and in the 1963 Tour de France he wore it for 9 days. Desmet won 101 professional races, including Paris–Tours, La Flèche Wallonne and Four Days of Dunkirk. His best result in the Tour de France was his 4th place in 1962. He finished second in the 1959 Paris–Roubaix.
The 1963 Giro d'Italia was the 46th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tour races. The Giro started in Naples, on 19 May, with a 182 km (113.1 mi) stage and concluded back in Milan, on 9 June, with a 136 km (84.5 mi) leg. A total of 120 riders from 12 teams entered the 21-stage race, which was won by Italian Franco Balmamion of the Carpano team. The second and third places were taken by Italian riders Vittorio Adorni and Giorgio Zancanaro, respectively.
The 1954 Giro d'Italia was the 37th edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro started off in Palermo on 21 May with a 36 km (22.4 mi) team time trial and concluded in Milan with a 222 km (137.9 mi) relatively flat mass-start stage on 13 June. Fifteen teams entered the race, which was won by Swiss Carlo Clerici of the Welter team. Second and third respectively were Swiss rider Hugo Koblet and Italian Nino Assirelli.
Bianchi was an Italian professional cycling team that was sponsored by and cycled on Bianchi Bicycles. A Bianchi cycling team existed in 1899 which implies that Bianchi was sponsoring professional cycling at a very early stage in the sport. It appears that the team existed from 1899 to 1900, then from 1905 to 1966, then from 1973 until 1984. It existed again in 1993 and for the last time in 2003, as Team Bianchi. In addition Bianchi has been a co-sponsor of many cycling teams.
Nino Defilippis was an Italian road bicycle racer who won the Giro di Lombardia in 1958, as well as nine stages at the Giro d'Italia, seven stages at the Tour de France and two stages at the Vuelta a España. He also won the mountains classification at the 1956 Vuelta a España and the Italian National Road Race Championship in 1956 and 1958.
Urs Freuler is a Swiss cyclist, who raced professionally between 1980 and 1997, during which he won 124 victories. He was named Swiss Sports Personality of the Year in 1982 and 1983.
Désiré "Dis" Keteleer was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. Keteleer was born in Anderlecht and was professional from 1942 until 1961, winning the inaugural Tour of Romandie in 1947 and La Flèche Wallonne in 1946. He rode in the 1949 Tour de France, winning stage 15. Keteleer died in Rebecq-Rognon.
Willy Vannitsen was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. In 1962, Vannitsen won two stages in the 1962 Tour de France.
Legnano was an Italian professional cycling team active from 1906 to 1966. It is ranked as the 6th most successful cycling team in history. Many famous cyclists rode for the team including Alfredo Binda, Learco Guerra, Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi. The team participated in the Giro d'Italia 46 times, won the team classification 11 times and earned 135 stage wins. It was sponsored by Italian bicycle motorcycle manufacturer Legnano.
