The medals & plaques - 15
ITEM N°656
VAN HOOYDONCK Edwig (B)
(04.08.1966)
Medal awarded for his victory in the 1988 Eddy Merckx Grand Prix
Born on 4 August 1966 in Ekeren, Edwig Van Hooydonck was one of Belgium’s finest classics specialists of the late 1980s and early 1990s. A professional from 1986 to 1996, he stood out for his endurance, tactical acumen and power on the Flemish roads.
On 4 September 1988, he won the Eddy Merckx Grand Prix, contested as a 57-kilometre individual time trial around Brussels. He covered the distance in 1 hour 15 minutes and 44 seconds, finishing 46 seconds ahead of the German Rolf Gölz and 49 seconds ahead of the Norwegian Jaanus Kuum.
The item on display is a medal awarded to Edwig Van Hooydonck in recognition of this victory. Circular in shape and made of silver-coloured metal, it features a finely decorated border and a suspension ring. Its deliberately understated design highlights the central inscription commemorating the Eddy Merckx Grand Prix and first place. The patina and marks visible on its surface bear witness to its age and to the fact that it has been preserved as a sporting memento.
The photograph on the right shows Edwig Van Hooydonck presenting a jersey and a trophy. It highlights the personal provenance of the items on display, as well as the direct link to the cyclist.
The year following his victory in the Eddy Merckx Grand Prix, Van Hooydonck won the Tour of Flanders at the age of just 22. He won the Flemish Monument a second time in 1991 and triumphed four times in the Brabantse Pijl, a record for that race.
On display in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this medal commemorates Edwig Van Hooydonck’s victory in the 1988 Grand Prix Eddy Merckx and the start of a career that would make him one of the great champions of the Flemish classics.
ITEM N° 329
WAGTMANS Wout (NL)
(10.11.1929 – 15.08.1994)
His bronze medal from the 1951 Dutch Road Championships
Born on 10 November 1929 in Rucphen, Wout Wagtmans belonged to the generation that helped popularise cycling in the Netherlands during the 1950s. An attacking rider and an excellent sprinter, he became one of the most popular figures in the Dutch peloton.
Dutch amateur champion in 1949, he turned professional the following year. In 1951, he finished third in the national individual road championship, behind Hans Dekkers and Wim van Est.
The medal on display, however, relates to the 1951 Dutch Club Championships, contested over a distance of 116 kilometres. Wout Wagtmans played a part in the victory of his club, Willebrord Wil Vooruit, alongside Wim van Est and Thijs Roks, amongst others. The obverse of the medal bears the inscription ‘Nederlandsche Wielren Unie’. Its centre, covered in deep blue enamel, is adorned with the crowned lion of the Netherlands holding a sword and a bundle of arrows. The year 1928 appears at the bottom. The reverse specifies the nature of the event with the inscription ‘Clubkampioenschap van Nederland 1951’. In the centre are the distance ‘Weg 116 km’, the commemorative phrase ‘Ter herinnering aan’ and the abbreviated name ‘W. Wagtmans’. This dedication establishes a direct link between the medal and the cyclist.
Wout Wagtmans went on to enjoy a brilliant international career. He won four stages of the Tour de France and wore the yellow jersey in the 1954, 1955 and 1956 editions. He also won three stages of the Giro d’Italia as well as the general classification of the Tour de Romandie in 1952.
The photograph accompanying the item shows a young Wout Wagtmans in the colours of the Ceylon team. His smile and elegant bearing evoke the charisma of a cyclist affectionately nicknamed ‘Olijke Woutje’, meaning ‘cheerful little Wout’.
Featured in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, it bears witness to Wout Wagtmans’ early career and his role in one of the great Dutch club cycling teams of the post-war era.
ITEM N° 331
WAGTMANS Wout (NL)
(10.11.1929 – 15.08.1994)
His bronze medal at the 1959 Dutch Middle-Distance Championships
A popular figure in Dutch cycling during the 1950s, Wout Wagtmans excelled on both the road and the track. An attacking, powerful and determined rider, he was particularly admired for his enthusiasm and fighting spirit.
On the road, he won four stages of the Tour de France and wore the yellow jersey in the 1954, 1955 and 1956 editions. He also secured three stage victories in the Giro d’Italia and won the general classification of the Tour de Romandie in 1952.
Wout Wagtmans also competed in track middle-distance racing. In this spectacular discipline, the cyclist rides behind a powerful motorbike driven by a coach. The slipstream created by the motorbike allows the cyclist to reach exceptionally high speeds and demands great technical skill. In 1958, he became Dutch middle-distance champion and won the bronze medal at the World Championships in this discipline in Paris. The following year, he finished third in the Dutch national championship.
The item on display is the medal awarded to Wout Wagtmans for this third-place finish in 1959. The reverse bears the inscription ‘Kampioenschap van Nederland’, accompanied by the words ‘100 km achter motoren’, ‘W. Wagtmans’ and ‘3e prijs’. The obverse is adorned with the crowned lion of the Netherlands against a blue enamel background. Surrounding this design are the inscriptions ‘Nederlandsche Wielren Unie’ and ‘Koninklijke’, which identify the Dutch cycling federation. Crafted from silver-coloured metal, the medal displays a patina and several signs of oxidation. These bear witness to its age and have been preserved as part of its material history.
The central photograph shows Wout Wagtmans in track cycling kit bearing the Vredestein colours. His padded helmet, characteristic of the era, is reminiscent of the equipment worn in velodromes before the advent of modern protective gear.
Displayed in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this medal bears witness to Wout Wagtmans’ versatility and his success in the demanding discipline of middle-distance racing behind motorbikes.
