Herman Vanspringel

Herman Vanspringel (14 August 1943 – 25 August 2022), also spelled Herman Van Springel, was a Belgian road racing cyclist, from Grobbendonk, in the Flemish Campine or Kempen region. He achieved podium finishes in all three of the grand tours with second place in the 1968 Tour de France and 1971 Giro d'Italia, and third place in the 1970 Vuelta a España. He wore the maillot jaune during four stages of the 1968 Tour de France and for three stages in 1973.

Career

Vanspringel was an accomplished time-trial rider, almost winning the Tour de France in 1968. He was beaten in the last stage by Dutch rider Jan Janssen in a time-trial. This remains as one of the closest races in Tour de France history. In the autumn that year, he won the classic Giro di Lombardia.

He won a record seven editions of the marathon Bordeaux–Paris. He also won the Green Jersey in the 1973 Tour de France without winning a single stage. He finished in 6th place overall that year, the third time in his career he would finish in the top 10 of the Tour de France. He would finish in the top 10 one final time during the 1974 edition. He would win a total of five stages during his ten participations in the Tour.

He was not allowed to ride the 1972 Tour de France due to signing for rival team Rokado for the 1973 season.

Vanspringel cycled through the 1970s and ended his career at the end of the 1981 season. As a professional cyclist, he eventually won 136 road races.

Flemish TV-maker and presenter, Mark Uytterhoeven, motivated by the 1968 Tour, founded a Herman Vanspringel fan club.

Major results

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1963

3rd Tour de Liège

1964

3rd

1966

1st Gent–Wevelgem

1st Brussel–Ingooigem

1st Flèche Hesbignonne

1st Grote Prijs Jef Scherens

1st Stage 2 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

1st Prix de St. Amands

3rd Milan–San Remo

3rd Circuit des Frontières

6th Overall Tour de France

1967

1st Stages 6 (TTT) & Stage 7 Tour de France

1st Flèche Hesbignonne

2nd Overall Tour of Belgium

:1st Stage 2b

2nd Bordeaux–Paris

2nd Grote Prijs Jef Scherens

3rd Antwerpse Havenpijl

1968

1st Super Prestige Pernod International

2nd Road race, UCI Road World Championships

2nd Overall Tour de France

:1st Stages 3 (TTT) & 13

:Held after stages 3a-3b and 19-22a

1st Giro di Lombardia

1st Omloop Het Volk

1st Omloop van Midden-België

1st Trefle a Quatre Feuilles

2nd Paris–Roubaix

2nd Grand Prix des Nations

2nd Trofeo Baracchi (with Ole Ritter)

2nd Wattrelos–Meulebeke

3rd Rund um den Henninger Turm

3rd Overall Tour de Suisse

:1st Stage 1

3rd Overall Tour of Belgium

:1st Stage 1

3rd E3 Harelbeke

1969

1st Stages 10 and 21 Tour de France

1st Paris–Tours

1st Stages 4, 7 and 10 Tour de Suisse

1st Grand Prix des Nations

1st Overall À travers Lausanne

:1st Stages 1 (TTT) & 2

1st Stage 1 Four Days of Dunkirk

1st Rund um den Henninger-Turm

1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Joaquim Agostinho)

1st G.P de Baden-Baden (with Roger De Vlaeminck)

1st Omloop van Midden-België

1st GP van Malderen

2nd Giro di Lombardia

2nd Wattrelos–Meulebeke

2nd Grand Prix Pino Cerami

3rd Overall Tour of Belgium

:1st Stage 2b

3rd Rund um den Henninger Turm

3rd Gran Premio di Lugano

1970

1st Bordeaux–Paris

1st Brabantse Pijl

1st Grand Prix des Nations

1st Schaal Sels

1st Heistse Pijl

1st Omloop Schelde-Durme

1st Omloop van het Zuidwesten

1st Stage 3 Tour of Belgium

2nd Belgian National Road Race Championships

2nd Critérium des As

3rd Overall Vuelta a España

3rd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

3rd Trofeo Baracchi with Willy In't Ven

1971

1st National Road race Championships

1st Stages 1 (TTT) & 16b Tour de France

1st Züri-Metzgete

1st Nokere Koerse

1st G.P de Baden-Baden (with Eddy Merckx)

1st

1st Wattrelos–Meulebeke

1st Cronostafetta

1st Maaslandse Pijl

2nd Overall Giro d'Italia

2nd Overall Tour of Belgium

:1st Stage 3

2nd Paris–Roubaix

2nd Boucles de l'Aulne

3rd Overall Giro di Sardegna

3rd Gran Premio di Lugano

1972

1st Interclubs TTT, National Road Championships

1st GP Stad Zottegem

1st Cronostafetta

1st Trofee Luc Van Biesen

1st Kessel–Lier

1st Brussels–Biévenne

1st Wezenbeek–Oppem

2nd Brabantse Pijl

2nd Scheldeprijs

2nd Overall Tour de la Nouvelle-France

2nd Leeuwse Pijl

2nd Giro del Mendrisio

2nd Trefle a Quatre Feuilles

3rd Liège–Bastogne–Liège

3rd Tour du Condroz

3rd Subida a Arrate

3rd Omloop der Grensstreek

1973

1st Stage 9 Volta a Catalunya

1st Stage 4 Tour de Suisse

1st Stage 6 (TTT) Paris–Nice

2nd Grand Prix of Aargau Canton

2nd Overall Tour of Belgium

:1st Stage 1 (TTT)

2nd Overall Giro di Sardegna

3rd Amstel Gold Race

3rd Brabantse Pijl

3rd Giro di Lombardia

3rd Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme

6th Overall Tour de France

:1st points classification

:Held after stages 1b-2b

1974

1st Brabantse Pijl

1st E3 Prijs Vlaanderen

1st Boucles de l'Aulne

1st Bordeaux–Paris

1st GP Betekom

3rd Overall Tour de Luxembourg

3rd Grand Prix Impanis-Van Petegem

1975

1st Bordeaux–Paris

1st GP Desselgem

1st Omloop van Oost-Vlaanderen

2nd Critérium des As

3rd Overall Tour de Luxembourg

3rd Omloop van Neeroeteren

1976

1st Nationale Sluitingsprijs

1st Grand Prix de Wallonie

2nd Bordeaux–Paris

2nd Rebecq-Rognon

2nd Omloop der Leievallei

1977

1st Bordeaux–Paris

1st Stage 7 Paris–Nice

1st Stage 2 Three Days of De Panne

2nd Flèche Hesbignonne

2nd Critérium des As

3rd La Flèche Wallonne

1978

1st Bordeaux–Paris

1st Le Samyn

1st Omloop van het Houtland

2nd Gullegem Koerse

2nd Brabantse Pijl

3rd Critérium des As

1979

2nd Overall Tour of Belgium

:1st Stage 5

2nd Omloop der Grensstreek

3rd Bordeaux–Paris

:1st Stage 4a

3rd GP Stad Zottegem

1980

1st Bordeaux–Paris

2nd Critérium des As

3rd Grand Prix Impanis-Van Petegem

3rd Omloop van Midden-Brabant

1981

1st Bordeaux–Paris

2nd Critérium des As

2nd Nokere Koerse

2nd

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

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Honours

• A cycling race, Herman Vanspringels Diamond: From 1988
• Honorary Citizen of Grobbendonk
• Honorary Citizen of Kalmthout
• A bust in Grobbendonk: 2022

Books

• Herman Vanspringel – De Winnende Verliezer (112p, ) by Robert Janssens and Tom Willems: 1999
• Herman Vanspringel (48p, ) by Noël Truyers: 1999
• Herman Vanspringel 68 (159p, ) by Mark Uytterhoeven: 2011
• Herman Vanspringels Diamonds For Ever (207p) by Luc Wuyts and Marc Uytterhoeven: 2020

References

External links