How fitting that Briek Schotte died during the Ronde van
Vlaanderen. Although he had won other important races (Paris-
Tours, Paris-Bruxelles Gand-Wevelgem, and Worldchampionship)
he has always been been identified with the Ronde. Not only
because he paticipated 20 times in a row, winning twice
(1942 and 1948), but also because he personified almost
perfectly the "national spririt" of the Flemish people,
propagated by Karen van Wijnendaele, the founder of the
Ronde: not in the least elegant or stylish, but hard-
working, tough and honest. Schotte was the son of a poverty-
stricken farmer. He had five brothers and sisters and
because the family couldn't afford a bicycle for all six,
every day young Briek had to take two of his brothers on his
bike when he went to school, five miles from his home. It
must have been a good training, because when he was fifteen,
he discovered he could beat most other boys in local races.
He also discoverd that on a bike he could make much more
money than as a farm-hand. However, he realized he had to
have some training if he wanted to become a professional.
Because he had to do his nine-hours working day at the farm
of his parents, he started at four or five in the morning to
have some spare hours in the afternoon. No wonder, later in
his career he was considerd one of the toughest riders of
the peloton. He proved it in the terrible stages in the
Alpes of the TdF of 1948 when it was freezing and snowing.
He wasn't a climber at all, but he was only beaten by Gino
Bartali. ' Schotte's style as a rider was unique. He bent
over his handlebars as a predator over his prey, the upper
body part of his body shaked constantly from the left to the
right, and every movement seemd to cost an incredible
effert. Moreover, he moaned constantly as loud as a woman
tennis player. One of his collegues told once: when I had a
weak moment, I only had to look at Schotte to feel much
better. His style seemed not very efficient, but that didn't
impede him to become one of the best riders of his
generation. What's more, he as one the very few who didn't
use doping, he never bought or sold a race and - as one of
his collegues said - he was honest beyond belief. May he
rest in peace.
Benjo Maso
His results in the Ronde van Vlaanderen:
1940: third. 1941: abandoned after 3 flats 1942: won 1943:
18th 1944: second 1945: 23d 1946: third 1947: abandoned
after two flats 1948: won 1949: third 1950: second 1951:
abandoned (sick) 1952: third 1953: 15th 1954: 21st 1955:
24th 1956: 8th 1957: 21st 1958: 6th 1959: abandoned after he
broke his frame.