Fallen Hero

   In the mid-1980s, when I was first getting into cycling, I would occasionally pick up an issue of Winning Bicycle Racing Illustrated at the local shop. Unlike Bicycling magazine, which focused on training techniques, new equipment and beautiful locations in which to ride, Winning was all about pro racing.

   The wonderful photography was the big draw, with the legendary Graham Watson providing some of the most memorable images. His name might not sound familiar to the casual cycling fan, but if you have ever seen a photo from the Tour de France, the odds are pretty good that it was taken by Watson!

   When I decided to buy a subscription to Winning, one of the first issues that arrived in my mailbox featured a photo of Belgian great Claude Criquielion (kree-kay-lee-ON) on the cover. Maybe because I am a Flyers fan, I was drawn immediately to the orange and black of his Hitachi team jersey, which also had cool scorpion logos of the garment manufacturer Castelli adorning the shoulders.

   I quickly became an admirer of Criquielion, a fantastic all-around cyclist who finished five times in the top ten at the Tour de France and won a World Championship in 1984. He excelled in the northern classics in and around his native land, winning the Tour of Flanders in 1987, as well as La Flèche Wallonne in 1985 and 1989.

   A couple of years ago I had purchased a small Criquielion cycling figure that I envisioned taking on my next European trip for some humorous photos. My brother-in-law did something similar with a Knight Rider toy for his Half Hoff Facebook page.

   Unfortunately, while watching some early season cycling highlights on Friday morning, I was saddened to hear of Criquielion’s passing. A clip showed the peloton pausing in a moment of silence at the start of a stage of the Tour of Oman. The commentator explained that the 57-year-old had died that morning after suffering a stroke overnight.

   After reviewing some of Criquielion's palmarès, he mentioned that Claude was director sportif for two different professional teams, including the 2005 Landbouwkrediet-Colnago squad, of which his son Mathieu was a member. Since 2006, Criquielion had been serving as alderman for the municipality of Lessines.

   Despite his various career achievements, Claude was probably best known for the photo on the left and the incident surrounding the captured image, as he was attempting to win his second World title in 1988 on the roads of his home country. Belgian fans screamed as Criquielion and breakaway mate Maurizio Fondriest neared the finish line in the city of Ronse. The young Italian would go on to have a fantastic career himself and win many big races, but at this point he was only in his second year as a pro and  looked to be a bit in-over-his-head on such a big stage.

   Perhaps in an attempt to conserve energy for the sprint finish, the two dawdled enough to let Canada’s Steve Bauer bridge up to them alone. Because of Fondriest’s inexperience and the energy Bauer had spent to catch the breakaway by himself, Criquielion was a major favorite to win as the three came down the homestretch.

   At nearly full sprint and just meters from the line, the Canadian inexplicably reached towards his downtube shifters. As Criquielion attempted to pass, Bauer swerved to his right and threw out his elbow, sending the Belgian crashing into the barriers and leaving Fondriest to claim a shocking victory (see YouTube video). The Canadian was eventually disqualified, which was little consolation to Criquielion. He was left with nothing except a broken bicycle, as other cyclists had eventually ridden by him to contest the other two podium spots.

   This regrettable event was expectedly mentioned in biographical information posted about Criquelion after word of his death spread around the cycling world, but there were also plenty of wonderful comments and stories shared by his colleagues and rivals.  Repose en paix, Claude.