the jerseys - 53
ITEM N° 356
NELISSEN Wilfried (B) (05.05.1970)
His 1994 Belgian Road Champion’s jersey
Born on 5 May 1970 in Tongeren, Limburg, Wilfried Nelissen was one of Belgium’s leading sprinters of the 1990s. Turning professional in 1990, he made a name for himself through his power, his positioning skills and his fighting spirit in bunch sprints.
His list of honours includes the 1992 Grand Prix de l’Escaut, two consecutive victories in the Circuit Het Volk in 1993 and 1994, and a stage win in the 1993 Tour de France. He also won numerous stages in Paris–Nice, the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, the Tour de Suisse and several European stage races.
Nelissen secured more than forty victories during his career. However, crashes and injuries, particularly to his knee, hampered his progress and led to his premature retirement from professional cycling in the late 1990s.
This item is a Lotto team jersey worn by Wilfried Nelissen as the 1994 Belgian Road Champion.
The 1994 Belgian Professional Road Championship was held in Liedekerke, over a 258.4-kilometre course. Wilfried Nelissen won ahead of Michel Vanhaecke and Peter Verbeken. He retained his title in 1995, ahead of Tom Steels and Johan Museeuw, thus becoming one of the few riders to win two consecutive Belgian championships.
This jersey brings together one of the finest Belgian sprinters of the 1990s, his first national title and the colours of a leading Belgian cycling team. A handwritten inscription and Wilfried Nelissen’s signature are visible on the yellow stripe of the jersey. This dedication reinforces the direct link between the garment, the rider and the collection. The period photograph shows Nelissen wearing a similar tricolour kit in competition. A second photograph shows him alongside several items of clothing and a trophy, documenting his meeting with the collector.
Featured in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this jersey preserves the memory of Wilfried Nelissen’s first Belgian championship title, won in 1994.
ITEM N° 215)
NEVENS Jan (B) (26.08.1958)
His 1988 Tour Méditerranéen winner’s jersey
Born on 26 August 1958 in Ninove, East Flanders, Jan Nevens is a Belgian cyclist who turned professional in 1980 and retired in 1995. A resilient and versatile rider, he excelled particularly in stage races and long breakaways.
Before turning professional, he won the 1980 Flèche Ardennaise and represented Belgium in the road race at the Moscow Olympic Games. During his career, he rode for teams including Boston, Europ Décor, Kwantum Hallen, Lotto, Sigma–Fina, Histor–Sigma and Vlaanderen 2002.
His list of achievements includes stage wins in the Tour de Romandie, the Tour de Suisse, the Tour del Trentino and the Vuelta a Asturias. His most famous success remains his solo victory in Koblenz during the eighth stage of the 1992 Tour de France.
This item is a jersey associated with Jan Nevens’s overall victory in the 1988 Tour Méditerranéen.
Held in February, the Tour Méditerranéen traditionally opens the European stage race season. Its route alternates between coastal roads, hilly hinterland terrain and fast, wind-exposed stages. The 1988 edition covered 649.5 kilometres. Jan Nevens won the general classification in 14 hours, 54 minutes and 51 seconds. He finished just four seconds ahead of the Frenchman Charly Mottet, whilst Luc Leblanc came third, thirteen seconds behind.
This jersey symbolises a spirited Belgian rider, the major victory of his career in a stage race and an iconic event at the start of the season.
On display in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this jersey preserves the memory of the 1988 Tour Méditerranéen won by Jan Nevens. His dedication, the photograph of the rider and the inclusion of the trophy make it a personal and particularly well-documented artefact.
ITEM N° 217
NIJDAM Jelle (NL)
(16.08.1963)
Superconfex–Yoko time trial jersey worn in 1988
Born on 16 August 1963 in Zundert, the Netherlands, Jelle Nijdam was one of the finest time trialists and finishers of his generation. A professional from 1984 to 1996, he stood out for his power, his ability to anticipate the race and his capacity to maintain high speed over short distances.
Nicknamed ‘Snelle Jelle’, he excelled in prologues and time trials, but also in attacks launched a few kilometres from the finish. His honours list includes six stage wins in the Tour de France, the 1988 Amstel Gold Race, Paris–Tours and Paris–Brussels in 1989, as well as several victories in the Tour of the Netherlands.
The son of former cycling champion Henk Nijdam, he competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games before turning professional. He went on to compete in ten Tours de France and wore the yellow jersey for a total of three days.
This Superconfex–Yoko team jersey was worn by Jelle Nijdam in the time trials of the 1988 season.
This item brings together a great Dutch road cyclist, a major season in his career and the rapid evolution of aerodynamic kit in the late 1980s.
The period photograph shows a similar outfit used in real competitive conditions, complete with a streamlined helmet and a lenticular wheel. It thus places the item within the technical context of top-level cycling in 1988.
Featured in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this cycling jersey preserves the memory of Jelle Nijdam’s 1988 season, marked by his victory in the Amstel Gold Race, a stage win in the Tour de France and two days in the yellow jersey. It stands as a valuable testament to the rise of the modern time trial and the innovations that transformed the pursuit of speed.
