Race vehicle identification plates - 18
ITEM N° 703
HEW Cyclassics 2001 press vehicle badge
This badge relates to the HEW Cyclassics 2001, the sixth edition of the Hamburg classic, which took place on 19 August over a distance of 250.8 kilometres. The race was the seventh round of the Road Cycling World Cup.
The badge bears the date ‘19.08.2001’, the central inscription ‘Presse’ and the emblems of the HEW Cyclassics, the World Cup and the International Cycling Union. It served to identify an accredited vehicle belonging to the media convoy following the race.
This badge allowed journalists, photographers and technicians access to the organisation’s restricted areas. It bears witness to the vital role played by the press in the coverage and international broadcast of major cycling competitions.
The race was won by the German Erik Zabel, a member of the Deutsche Telekom team. He won in a sprint finish after 5 hours 59 minutes 02 seconds of racing, ahead of the Latvian world champion Romāns Vainšteins and the Dutchman Erik Dekker.
This victory marked Zabel’s first success in the Hamburg classic. It confirmed the qualities of one of the finest sprinters of his generation, already a four-time winner of Milan–San Remo and holder of six consecutive green jerseys at the Tour de France.
On display in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël Grégoire Collections, this plaque commemorates the 2001 HEW Cyclassics, its media coverage and Erik Zabel’s victory on the streets of Hamburg.
ITEM N° 704
Milan–San Remo 2001 press vehicle number plate
This number plate relates to Milan–San Remo 2001, the ninety-second edition of the famous Italian classic, held on 24 March over a 287-kilometre route linking Milan to the Ligurian Riviera. The race was the first round of the 2001 Road Cycling World Cup.
The item bears the date ‘24 Marzo 2001’, the name ‘Milano Sanremo’ and the logos of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Fiat and the UCI World Cup. The green and red section bears the number 69 and the word ‘Stampa’, indicating an accredited vehicle belonging to the press convoy.
This signage allowed authorised journalists, photographers and technicians to travel along the route and gain access to areas reserved by the organisers. It bears witness to the importance of the media in the international coverage of this great cycling classic.
The race was won in a sprint finish by the German Erik Zabel, a member of the Deutsche Telekom team. After 7 hours, 23 minutes and 13 seconds of racing, he finished ahead of the Italian Mario Cipollini and the Latvian world champion Romāns Vainšteins.
This success marked Zabel’s fourth and final victory in Milan–San Remo, following his wins in 1997, 1998 and 2000. With four triumphs to his name, he joined Gino Bartali among the race’s leading winners, behind record-holder Eddy Merckx.
On display in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël Grégoire Collections, this plaque commemorates the media coverage of the 2001 Milan–San Remo and Erik Zabel’s fourth victory in the ‘Classicissima’.
ITEM N° 705
Press vehicle badge from the 2001 Tour of Flanders
This badge relates to the 2001 Tour of Flanders, the eighty-fifth edition of the famous Belgian classic, held on 8 April between Bruges and Meerbeke. The riders covered 269 kilometres and tackled sixteen climbs, including the Oude Quaremont, the Paterberg, the Muur van Geraardsbergen and the Bosberg.
The item bears the name ‘De Ronde van Vlaanderen’, the year 2001, the bilingual inscription ‘Pers/Presse’ and the number 28. It also bears the emblems of the UCI World Cup and several event partners, including KBC, Het Nieuwsblad and Primus.
This badge was used to identify an accredited vehicle belonging to the media convoy. It authorised journalists, photographers and technicians to travel along the route and to access the various areas reserved by the organisers.
The race was won by the Italian Gianluca Bortolami, a member of the Tacconi Sport–Vini Caldirola team. After 6 hours, 10 minutes and 23 seconds of racing, he narrowly beat the Dutchman Erik Dekker in a particularly close sprint. The Italian Denis Zanette completed the podium.
This victory was the highlight of the latter part of Bortolami’s career; he had previously won the 1994 World Cup. It also saw him take the lead in the 2001 World Cup standings.
On display in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël Grégoire Collections, this plaque bears witness to the media coverage of the Tour of Flanders and preserves the memory of Gianluca Bortolami’s victory on the cobbled roads of Flanders.
