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.
Johannes Adrianus "Jan" Janssen is a Dutch former professional cyclist (1962–1972). He was world champion and winner of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. He was the first Dutch rider to win the Tour de France and the first to win the Vuelta a España. He rode the Tour de France eight times and finished all but the first time. He won seven stages and wore the yellow jersey for two days. He was easily spotted in the peloton because of his blond hair and his glasses.
Franco Balmamion, is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist who raced between 1960 and 1972. The highlight of his career was his successive overall wins in the 1962 and 1963 editions of the Giro d'Italia.
Herman Van Springel is a Belgian former road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region.
Dietrich ("Didi") Thurau is a retired German professional road bicycle racer. His biggest career achievements include winning the one-day classic, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, his home country's Deutschland Tour and surprising the field at the 1977 Tour de France by capturing four stages and holding the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification from the prologue for 15 days. Thurau did win the young rider classification although he lost the overall lead to eventual winner Bernard Thévenet.
Walter Godefroot is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer and former directeur sportif of Team Telekom, later known as T-Mobile Team, professional team. He won a bronze medal in the individual road race at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Franco Bitossi is an Italian former professional cyclist for Filotex. He was born in Camaioni di Carmignano.
Gerben Karstens is a former professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who won the gold medal in the 100 km team trial at the 1964 Summer Olympics, alongside Bart Zoet, Evert Dolman, and Jan Pieterse. At the same Olympics he finished 27th in the individual road race.
Gustaf Van Roosbroeck is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer who competed in the 1970s.
Edward Sels is a former Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He was professional from 1963 to 1972, winning 35 races. He was road champion of Belgium in 1961 (Military) and 1964. He won seven stages in the Tour de France and one in the Giro d'Italia. He wore the yellow jersey for two days in the 1964 Tour de France. His sister, Rosa Sels, was a cyclist too.
Albertus "Ab" Geldermans is a former Dutch professional road bicycle racer and directeur sportif. He was professional from 1959 to 1966 and rode seven editions of the Tour de France. In 1962 he finished fifth overall and wore the yellow jersey for two days. In 1960 Geldermans won Liège–Bastogne–Liège and won the Deutschland Tour. In 1962 he was Dutch road race champion. Afterwards he became directeur sportif of the Dutch national cycling team that competed in the 1967 Tour de France and directed Jan Janssen to victory in the 1967 Tour de France.
Ludo Peeters is a former Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He was professional from 1974 to 1990. He rode ten editions of the Tour de France and won 3 stages, one in 1980, one in 1982 and one in 1986. He also wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification for one day in 1982 after his stage win and also in 1984.
Marinus "Rini" Wagtmans is a former Dutch professional road bicycle racer. He was the nephew of Wout Wagtmans, a former professional who had won the Tour de Romandie stage race in 1952. His father was a masseur while Tour de France stage winner Wim van Est was his neighbour. In 1968 Rini turned professional. The following year he finished third overall in the 1969 Vuelta a España. He rode four editions of the Tour de France and won three stages, one in 1970, one in 1971 and one in 1972. In the 1970 Tour de France he finished fifth overall. In 1971 Tour de France while riding for Molteni, he wore the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification for one day but teammate and team leader Eddy Merckx took the jersey the following day. He also won two stages in the 1970 Vuelta a España. Wagtmans was known as one of the best descenders in the peloton and earned him the nickname "witte bles" which is translated as "white blaze". Wagtmans ended his career early due to heart problems. Afterwards he was a cycling coach, a member for the Royal Dutch Cycling Union, and then a successful businessman. In 2005, Wagtmans was invested as a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau. In 2006, Wagtmans’ biography was published.
Willy Teirlinck is a retired Belgian road cyclist. He was professional from 1970 to 1986 and won 96 races. In 1975 he won the national title on the road. He rode Tour de France ten times and won three stages in 1972, one stage and one day in the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification in 1973, and one stage in 1976. His other victories include individual stages of the Vuelta a España, Deutschland Tour, Étoile de Bessèges, Tour de Luxembourg, Tour de l'Oise as well as one day races Grand Prix Pino Cerami, Grand Prix de Fourmies and the Grand Prix de Denain. An annual cycling event Willy Teirlinck Classic takes place in his honor in Liedekerke.
Raymond Riotte is a former French professional road bicycle racer. Riotte was professional from 1966 to 1975 where he won 22 races. Riotte participated in 8 editions of the Tour de France where he won a stage in the 1967 Tour de France as well as wearing the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification for one day. Other victories include two wins in the Ronde de Seignelay, one win in Paris–Camembert and stage wins in Paris–Nice, the Grand Prix du Midi Libre and the Semana Catalane. Riotte was a teammate of Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Thévenet, Raymond Poulidor, Lucien Aimar and of Lucien Van Impe.
Kas was a Spanish-based professional cycling team which was active from 1958 until 1979 and again for three years in the 1980s. Its name was derived from the name of the principal sponsor of the team, the soft drinks manufacturer, Kas. The team was principally based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. Its riders typically wore a jersey that consisted of yellow and blue.
Jos Huysmans was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer.
Albert Van Vlierberghe was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. Van Vlierberghe won three stages in the Tour de France, and three stages in the Giro d'Italia. He also competed in the team time trial and the team pursuit events at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
Rudy Matthijs is a Belgian retired professional road bicycle racer. He won 4 stages in the Tour de France, 3 of which came during the 1985 Tour de France on stages 1 and 2, and then on the final stage of the tour with one of the biggest sprinter's stages in all of cycling on the Champs Elysees.
Georges Van Coningsloo was a Belgian racing cyclist.
