Fred De Bruyne

Alfred De Bruyne ( Berlare , 21 October 1930 - Seillans ( France ), 4 February 1994 ) was a Belgian cyclist and sports journalist .

In 1947 De Bruyne was a cyclist. He won three times in Liege-Bastogne-Liege and also some important classics like Milan-San Remo , Paris-Nice (2x) and Paris-Roubaix . From 1956 to 1958 he was the first three in a row in the Challenge Desgrange-Colombo , the forerunner of the Super Prestige , a regularity classification in the cycling season.

On the road was Rik Van Steenbergen , along with other Rik (Van Looy) one of its biggest competitors. On the Job De Bruyne and Steenbergen companions were. They triumphed in thesix day of Ghent in both 1956 and 1957 .

After a severe car accident in 1960 , he ended his cycling career. He was a sports reporter at the BRT television from 1961 to 1977 . His reports were very appreciated in Flanders and parts of the Netherlands, and a long time he was the most important cycling reporter on the screen. After sixteen years of his contract was not renewed, and he held the honor to himself and resigned.

From 1978 , he became sports director at various cycling teams. In his first year was Michel Pollentier during the Tour de France caught doping fraud . More fun experienced De Bruyne as sports director of DAF Trucks team. Leader Hennie Kuiper won under his leadership include the Tour of Flanders .

The last years of his life lived De Bruyne in the French Provence . He has published four books with biographies of cyclists and a book of his memoirs. He died at age 63 after a long illness. In his hometown Seillans is a square named after him. There was also a street named after him in Berlare.