Albert Van Vlierberghe

During Albert Van Vlierberghe’s long cycling career he won the Belgian national road title and six stages at Grand Tours, and competed at the Olympics. In the late 1950s and early 1960s Van Vlierberghe had several podium places at races in East Flanders, winning the national amateur road race in 1963. The following year he was selected to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, riding in both the team time trial and the road and the team pursuit on the track. After the Olympics he won multiple races in Belgium, as well as a stage at the Tour of Portugal.

In 1966 Van Vlierberghe turned professional, winning the seventh stage of that years Tour de France, followed by a stage at the Giro d’Italia a year later. He then won two more stages at both the Giro (1969, 1972) and the Tour de France (1970, 1971), riding in multiple editions of each race throughout the 1970s. Van Vlierberghe continued to have success across Europe throughout the decade, winning further races in Belgium, France, and Italy. He finished his career with two wins in races in East Flanders in 1980.