The medals & plaques - 7
ITEM N°542
DAEMS Corneille (B)
(04.02.1964)
His participation medal from the Bordeaux–Paris race in 1988
Corneille Daems grew up in a family with deep roots in cycling. He is the son of Émile Daems, the famous Belgian champion who won the Tour of Lombardy, Milan–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix.
Corneille made a name for himself right from the junior ranks. In 1980, in Nijlen, he became Belgian road champion in the novices’ category. He went on to win several races, including the Trophée de Flandre in 1981 and Ledegem–Kemmel–Ledegem in 1982.
Established in 1891, Bordeaux–Paris was long regarded as one of the most gruelling races on the calendar. Nicknamed the ‘Road Derby’, it demanded an exceptional effort from the participants, much of which was undertaken during the night.
The 1988 edition was won by the Frenchman Jean-François Rault. It was the last professional edition of this historic race, which lends particular historical significance to the mementoes presented to the participants.
The medal on display commemorates Corneille Daems’ participation in this final Bordeaux–Paris race. One side features a map showing the route between Bordeaux and Fontenay-sous-Bois, with the main towns passed through: Ruffec, Montmorillon, Valençay, Étampes and Fontenay-sous-Bois. The other side shows a peloton of cyclists racing along the road. The relief highlights the density of the group, the riders’ faces etched with exertion, and the characteristic atmosphere of major endurance events.
The photograph on the right shows Corneille Daems in the SEFB–Peugeot team jersey, standing next to his racing bike. It places the medal in the context of the 1988 season and recalls his presence within the professional peloton.
Displayed in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this medal bears witness both to Corneille Daems’ career and to the discontinuation, in 1988, of one of the longest and most legendary races in the history of professional cycling.
ITEM N° 543
DAEMS Corneille (B)
(04.02.1964)
His participation medal from the 1989 Tour of the European Community
Born on 4 February 1964 in Etterbeek, Corneille Daems grew up in a family with a deep passion for cycling. He is the son of Émile Daems, one of Belgium’s great cyclists of the 1960s, who won, amongst other races, the Tour of Lombardy, Milan–San Remo and Paris–Roubaix.
Corneille made his mark from his early days in the junior ranks. In 1980, in Nijlen, he became Belgian road champion in the beginners’ category. He went on to win the Flanders Trophy in 1981 and Ledegem–Kemmel–Ledegem in 1982. After several seasons as an amateur, he turned professional in 1986 with the Dutch team Transvemij–Van Schilt. He then joined the Belgian team SEFB, for whom he raced in the late 1980s.
In September 1989, Corneille Daems took part in the Tour of the European Community, a major stage race and successor to the Tour de l’Avenir. The route passed through several countries and symbolised, through the sport of cycling, the growing unity among European nations. Held from 6 to 14 September, the 1989 edition was won by the Frenchman Pascal Lino, ahead of Laurent Bezault and Denis Roux. Corneille Daems finished the race in 93rd place in the general classification whilst riding for the SEFB team.
The medal on display was presented to Corneille Daems as a memento of his participation. It features a map of the route linking various towns in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. Notable locations include Paris, Épernay, Charleville-Mézières, Houffalize, Luxembourg, Koblenz, Wiesbaden, Sarrebourg, Épinal and Colmar. This geographical representation highlights the event’s international and European character. The medal’s understated surface, rendered in relief, primarily emphasises the borders, the stage towns and the route followed by the riders. It thus serves as a genuine cartographic record of that edition.
On display in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this medal commemorates Corneille Daems’ participation in the 1989 Tour of the European Community and bears witness to an event that combined sporting competition with the ideal of European integration.
ITEM N° 536
DAEMS Émile (B)
(04.04.1938 – 17.10.2024)
His commemorative medal presented in Briançon in 1989
Born on 4 April 1938 in Genval, Émile Daems turned professional in 1959. A small-statured rider, fast in the sprint and particularly combative, he quickly established himself as one of Belgium’s finest classics specialists.
His career took on an international dimension in 1960 when he won the Tour of Lombardy, one of the major races on the calendar. The following season, he won the Tour of Sardinia, the Tour of Ticino and a stage of the Tour de France between Roubaix and Charleroi. The year 1962 marked the peak of his career. Émile Daems won Milan–San Remo, two stages of the Giro d’Italia and three stages of the Tour de France. He also finished second in Paris–Roubaix and thirteenth in the overall classification of the Tour de France. His most unexpected feat came on 11 July 1962 during the 18th stage of the Tour de France, a 241.5-kilometre route between Juan-les-Pins and Briançon. Despite being known as a sprinter and classics rider, Daems tackled the Alpine passes and won in Briançon after more than nine hours of racing. In 1963, he added another prestigious victory to his list of achievements by winning Paris–Roubaix ahead of Rik Van Looy and Jan Janssen. The photograph on the right shows the finish of this great classic at the Roubaix velodrome. In total, Émile Daems won four stages of the Tour de France and two stages of the Giro d’Italia. His professional career came to an end in 1966, when he was just 28 years old, due to the after-effects of a fall.
The medal shown here was presented to him in Briançon on 13 July 1989, when the Tour de France passed through the Alpine town. This ceremony paid tribute to his victory, achieved twenty-seven years earlier on the route from Juan-les-Pins to Briançon. Preserved in its red case, the medal bears the handwritten inscription ‘Daems Émile – Tour de France – 13 July 1989’ on one side. The reverse side features a relief view of Briançon and its fortifications, set against a backdrop of mountains.
Émile Daems, who passed away on 17 October 2024, is remembered as a daring and versatile champion, capable of winning both the greatest classics and a gruelling high-mountain stage.
On display in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this commemorative medal honours the memory of his exceptional victory in Briançon during the 1962 Tour de France.
