1977 Tour of Flanders

November 2017 1977_Tour_of_Flanders.png Event poster 3 April 1977 1 260 km 6h 44' 00" Roger De Vlaeminck BEL Brooklyn Freddy Maertens BEL Flandria–Velda Walter Planckaert BEL Maes–Miniflat 1976 1978 The 61st running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on 3 April 1977. Belgian Roger De Vlaeminck won in a two-man sprint before Freddy Maertens, although the latter was later disqualified for an illegal bike change.McGann McGann Bill Carol http://www.bikeraceinfo.com/classics/Tour%20of%20Flanders/1977-tour-of-flanders.html 1977 Ronde van Vlaanderen results BikeRaceInfo McGann Publishing Cherokee Village, Arkansas 31 May 2015 The race started in Sint-Niklaas and finished in Meerbeke. Race Summary thumb|right|Roger De Vlaeminck on the Koppenberg The race was one of the most peculiar in the history of the Tour of Flanders.Vanwalleghem, Rik (1991), De Ronde van Vlaanderen, Pinguin, Belgium, 90-73322-02-2, p184-187Vanwalleghem, Rik (2003), De Ronde van Vlaanderen, Lannoo, Belgium, 90-20951-37-8, p78-81 Eddy Merckx, seeking a third win in his home classic, attacked early in the race and addressed the first climbs as frontrunner. Freddy Maertens punctured on the Koppenberg and was given a wheel by a spectator who pushed him all the way up. De Vlaeminck broke clear on the Koppenberg in pursuit of Merckx, but punctured shortly after and was caught by a returning Maertens. After the Taaienberg a three-man group with Belgian cycling icons De Vlaeminck, Maertens and Merckx was ahead of the peloton. On the Varent climb, 70 km from the finish, a faltering Merckx was distanced by his companions and would not finish the race, spelling the end of his career. De Vlaeminck suddenly refused to work and cameras registered the two arguing. For the remaining 70 km Freddy Maertens rode to the finish with De Vlaeminck on his wheel and was easily beaten by the latter in the sprint. It was De Vlaeminck's first and only win in the classic. At two minutes, Walter Planckaert won the sprint for third place. Controversy During the podium ceremony, De Vlaeminck was booed off stage by angry spectators who were displeased with his "cowardly" ride. The two protagonists made contradictory statements about what happened. Maertens stated that the judges had told him during the race he would be disqualified for his illegal wheel-change on the Koppenberg and that De Vlaeminck had offered him 300.000 francs to keep riding to the finish. De Vlaeminck denied this report, saying that he tactically stayed on Maertens' wheel for 70 km on, as he considered Maertens the better sprinter.Vanwalleghem, Rik (2003), De Ronde van Vlaanderen, Lannoo, Belgium, 90-20951-37-8, p80-81 Days after the race, the controversy heightened even more, when news broke that Maertens and third-place finisher Walter Planckaert had tested positive for amphetamines and were both disqualified.http://www.sportgeschiedenis.nl/2009/04/04/de-ronde-van-vlaanderen-van-1977-deel-2.aspx Sportgeschiedenis.nl – de alternatieve bron voor sportnieuws 2015-05-31 https://web.archive.org/web/20151117025312/http://www.sportgeschiedenis.nl/2009/04/04/de-ronde-van-vlaanderen-van-1977-deel-2.aspx 2015-11-17 dead Organizers decided to keep second and third place blank for this edition, unique in the Tour of Flanders' history. Climbs There were eight categorized climbs in this edition: Oude Kwaremont Koppenberg Taaienberg Eikenberg Volkegemberg Varent Muur Bosberg Results CyclistTeamTime1Roger De Vlaeminck BEL Brooklyn 6h 44' 00"2Freddy Maertens BEL Flandria–Velda + 2"3Walter Planckaert BEL Maes–Miniflat + 2' 00"4Walter Godefroot BEL IJsboerke–Colnago s.t.5Jan Raas NED Frisol–Gazelle s.t.6Francesco Moser ITA Sanson s.t.7Michel Pollentier BEL Flandria–Velda s.t.8Frans Verbeeck BEL IJsboerke–Colnago s.t.9Marc Demeyer BEL Flandria–Velda s.t.10Willy Planckaert BEL Maes–Miniflat s.t. References External links 9Eal4zY_uMc "Ronde van Vlaanderen 1977" Tour of Flanders Tour of Flanders Category:1977 Super Prestige Pernod Category:1977 controversies Category:Tour of Flanders