The bikes - 4
ITEM N° 205
MEULENBERG Éloi (B)
(22.09.1912 – 26.02.1989)
His personal bicycle, used after his sporting career
Born on 22 September 1912 in Jumet, now part of Charleroi, Éloi Meulenberg was one of the finest Belgian cyclists of the second half of the 1930s. A professional from 1934 to 1950, he was noted above all for his speed and his outstanding sprinting ability.
His first major successes came in 1935, when he won the Grand Prix de Fourmies and finished second in the Tour of Flanders. The following year, he won Paris–Brussels as well as two stages of the Tour de France. The 1937 season marked the peak of his career. Éloi Meulenberg first won Liège–Bastogne–Liège, then four stages of the Tour de France. On 23 August, in Copenhagen, he became world road champion ahead of the German Emil Kijewski and the Swiss Paul Egli. He was the first Walloon rider to win the rainbow jersey. Meulenberg confirmed his prowess as a sprinter by winning a further three stages of the Tour de France in 1938. He thus racked up a total of nine stage victories in the Tour de France between 1936 and 1938. His career, interrupted by the Second World War, continued throughout the 1940s. Notably, he won the Grand Prix de l’Escaut in 1943 and the Tour of Limburg in 1945, before gradually retiring from competition.
The bicycle on display does not date from his great victories of the 1930s. It is a personal bicycle used by Éloi Meulenberg after the end of his sporting career, whilst he continued to cycle regularly. This bicycle has an orange steel frame, constructed using the traditional butted-tube method. It is fitted with racing handlebars, cable brakes, a double chainring, a rear derailleur and a bottle cage. Its specification is that of a road bike designed for long rides. The item also has an interesting story of friendship behind it. Éloi Meulenberg personally presented this bicycle to his friend Mr J. Hotyat, organiser of the Grand Prix Joseph Bruyère. This gesture gives the bicycle a direct provenance and significant documentary value.
Éloi Meulenberg, who died on 26 February 1989 in Charleroi, is remembered as a remarkable sprinter, winner of nine stages of the Tour de France, Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the Road World Championships.
On display in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this personal bicycle bears witness to Éloi Meulenberg’s enduring love of cycling and preserves the memory of the first Walloon world champion in history.
ITEM N° 318
VAN STEENBERGEN Rik (B)
(09.09.1924 – 15.05.2003)
His last Girardengo bicycle, used during his final professional season in 1966
Rik Van Steenbergen is one of the greatest champions in the history of Belgian cycling. A professional from 1943 to 1966, he enjoyed an exceptionally long and successful career, both on the road and on the track.
A powerful rider and formidable sprinter, he won three world road cycling titles, in 1949, 1956 and 1957. This remarkable longevity at the very highest level enabled him to establish himself as one of the leading figures in post-war international cycling. His list of victories includes several major classics. He won the Tour of Flanders in 1944 and 1946, Paris–Roubaix in 1948 and 1952, the Flèche Wallonne in 1949 and 1958, Paris–Brussels in 1950, and Milan–San Remo in 1954. Rik Van Steenbergen also excelled in the Grand Tours. He won four stages of the Tour de France, fifteen stages of the Giro d’Italia and six stages of the Vuelta a España. In 1951, he finished second in the Giro after wearing the pink jersey for seven days. Track cycling played a key role in his career. A specialist in the American race, the omnium and derny races, he won numerous national and European titles. He also won forty Six-Day races, confirming his extraordinary versatility.
The bicycle on display is a Girardengo model, ridden by Rik Van Steenbergen in 1966 during his final season as a professional. It is thus one of the last physical reminders of his twenty-three-year career. This bicycle has a red steel frame, assembled using the traditional butted-tube method. It is fitted with a chrome fork, racing handlebars, cable brakes, a double chainring, a rear derailleur and a leather saddle.
Its slender tubes, tubular tyres and understated fittings are typical of mid-1960s competition road bikes. The quality of its construction would have met the demands of an experienced rider, still capable of competing with the best despite the passing of the years.
The photograph on the right shows Rik Van Steenbergen holding the bike
Rik Van Steenbergen brought his career to a definitive end in December 1966, at the age of 42. He is remembered as an exceptional champion, admired for his class, his power and his remarkable longevity.
Featured in the Virtual Cycling Museum – Noël GREGOIRE Collections, this final Girardengo bike from 1966 is a precious testament to Rik Van Steenbergen’s final races and the culmination of an exceptional career.
