Frans Melckenbeeck

From the late 1950s until the early 1970s Belgian cyclist Frans Melckenbeeck amassed 240 race victories, including 64 as a professional. As an amateur Melckenbeeck won several races at the end of the 1950s to earn himself a place on the Olympic team for the 1960 Roma Games. There he competed on the track in the team pursuit, but the Belgian team was eliminated during the opening round. One year later he won the national amateur road race title and the national amateur Madison title on the track, in addition to placing fifth in the amateur road race at the World Championships.

Melckenbeeck turned professional in 1962, winning stages at both the Tour de Luxembourg and the Four Days of Dunkirk. His best results soon followed; winning the one-day classic Liège–Bastogne–Liège along with victory on the fourth stage of the Tour de France in 1963. One year later he won three stages at the Vuelta a España followed by another stage win at the race in 1965. In 2018 Melckenbeeck was made an honorary citizen of the municipality of Lede.