Belgian cyclist Walter Godefroot started his long and successful career by winning bronze in the individual road race at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Godefroot was in the main peloton of riders who were 11 seconds behind the gold and silver medallists, with him outsprinting his rivals, including the great Eddy Merckx, to finish on the podium at the Games. The following year he became the Belgian road race champion, with his career going from strength to strength. From 1967 to 1975 Godefroot rode in seven editions of the Tour de France, winning 10 individual stages, along with taking the points classification in 1970. That same year he also won a stage of the Giro d’Italia, followed by two stages at the Vuelta a España in 1971.
Godefroot had an impressive record in one-day races, winning two editions of the Tour of Flanders (1968, 1978), in addition to victories in Liège–Bastogne–Liège (1967), Paris–Roubaix (1969), and the Belgian classic Gent–Wevelgem (1968). He also won another national road race title in 1972, along with multiple wins in races both Belgium and the Netherlands. After his cycling career Godefroot became the directeur sportif of several teams, including Team Telekom and Astana.
Belgium