Briek Schotte

Alberic "Briek" Schotte (born Kanegem, West Flanders, 7 September 1919 – died Kortrijk, 4 April 2004) was a Belgian professional road racing cyclist, one of the champions of the 1940s and 1950s. His stamina earned him the nickname "Iron Briek" (IJzeren Briek).

Briek Schotte
Briek Schotte after winning the first stage of Dwars door België 1946 (collection: KOERS. Museum of Cycle Racing)
Personal information
Full nameAlberic Schotte
NicknameBriek
Born(1919-09-07)7 September 1919
Kanegem, Belgium
Died4 April 2004(2004-04-04) (aged 84)
Team information
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Major wins
World Champion cycling (1948, 1950)
Briek Schotte wins Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 1941 (collection KOERS. Museum of Cycle Racing)

He was world champion in 1948 and 1950, won the last stage of the 1947 Tour de France and finished second in the epic 1948 Tour, behind Gino Bartali. He twice won the Tour of Flanders (1942, 1948), Paris–Tours (1946, 1947) and Paris–Brussels (1946, 1952). He also won the inaugural Challenge Desgrange-Colombo, a season-long competition to identify the world's best road rider, in 1948.

After retirement in 1959, he was a team coach for 30 years, mostly for Flandria . He died on the day of the 2004 Tour of Flanders. The commentators during the race said "God must have been one of Briek's greatest fans".

Major results

1940
Ransart — Beaumont — Ransart
1941
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
Merelbeke
1942
Tour of Flanders
1944
Wetteren
1945
Nokere Koerse
Tielt-Antwerpen-Tielt
Olsene
1946
Mandel — Leie — Schelde
Paris–Tours
Tour de Luxembourg
Omloop der Vlaamse Gewesten
Paris–Brussels
1947
Paris–Tours
Tour de France:
Winner stage 21
1948
Desgrange-Colombo
Tour of Flanders
World road champion
Tour de France:
2nd place overall classification
1948
GP Stad Vilvoorde
1950
Aalst
Gent–Wevelgem
World road champion
Montenaken
1951
Vijfbergenomloop
1952
Omloop der Zuid-West-Vlaamse Bergen
Paris–Brussels
1953
Dwars door Vlaanderen
Grote Bevrijdingsprijs
1954
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen — Koolskamp
Omloop der drie Provinciën
Soignies
Oedelem
1955
Gent–Wevelgem
Dwars door Vlaanderen
Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen
1956
GP Bali
Lauwe
Boulogne-sur-Mer
1957
Wervik
Langemark
1958
De Panne

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